Illuminate Community Church

10/21/18 - How To Face Rejection - John 15:18-26; 16:1-4

It may seem odd to hear Jesus tell His followers they will be hated by the world. After all, Christians have brought the world some pretty amazing things such as education, hospitals, homeless shelters, help for the poor and the list goes on and on. So why would they be hated? Jesus says it's because the world hated Him first. The world hates Jesus because it does not want to be told what to do and it certainly does not want to be held accountable. The world likes options. But here's the thing…Jesus didn't give options. "No one comes to the Father but through Me." People get angry when they are told they are sinners in need of the forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ. If you love the one whom the world hates then you too will be hated. Hatred also comes because Jesus' followers are not of this world. What does that mean? It means our loyalty is not foremost to the company, our country, our family, our race, or our culture. Instead, our ultimate loyalty is to Jesus. This means there will be times when you will stand for what the world stands against and you will stand against what the world stands for. So let me ask you - Have you ever been hated for your faith in Jesus? If not, why? Are you keeping your identity a secret? Consider this: Jesus gave up His kingly name and position in heaven and He died to make a name for you, to write your name in the Book of Life for all eternity. Now, what threat, what embarrassment could possibly stop you from making His name known?

10/14/18 - The True Vine and The Vinedresser- John 15:1-11

One of the challenges of following Jesus is that we cannot see His physical presence. Imagine being one of the disciples when they hear Jesus say to them, "I am going to be with you just a little longer and then I must go to the Father." It's been three transformative years alongside their leader. They have given up everything to follow Him. The road ahead is tough. Peter will deny Jesus three times and the rest scatter upon Jesus' arrest. What these men need are words of encouragement and that's exactly what Jesus gives them. In John chapter 15 He speaks tenderly to His friends, assuring them that they will continue to experience His spiritual reality. He wants them to know that even though they won't see Him they are as closely connected as the branches of a vine are to its stem. Their desire to love Him and the energy to serve Him will keep flowing into and through them as long as they "abide" in Him. To abide is to remain, it is to stay connected to the true source of life and joy. God the Father is the vinedresser and He has one job - to care for the vine and ensure it produces fruit. There is none better. We aren't the best caretakers of ourselves. Oftentimes we don't see the things that need to be pruned and when we do see them we don't often have the courage to take action. Are you feeling as though the soil of your soul is dry? Are the leaves on your tree of life withering? Does the fruit of your labor taste like wax? What are you connected to? From what vines are you drawing nutrients? Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service. This is the life we've always wanted and the life that blesses others.

10/7/18 - The Advocate - John 14:12-31

9/30/18 - Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled - John 14:1-14

"Let not your hearts be troubled." Few words in the Bible are more often quoted than these. To understand their significance we must step into the context in which they were spoken. Jesus has been telling his disciples that his time with them is coming to an end. The cross lies ahead. These are words the disciples don't want to hear. Their leader is leaving them. It's a dark time sure to be filled with confusion and doubt. Jesus adds two powerful reasons to let go of their anxiety. 1. "Trust in God, trust also in me." There will be much the disciples don't understand about their circumstances. Can you relate? Jesus reminds them of the source of peace and calm - the all-mighty, all-sovereign God and His Son who has loved them to the end. God's got the plans and is working them to perfection; for His glory and your good. 2. "I have a place for you." As difficult as things get remember, one day you will be with Jesus. Home is a place of comfort, safety, security. Home is filled with joy, laughter and it's a place where people love to be with you. In the Father's house there will be nothing lacking. Can you even imagine? This is a look beyond what we cannot see here and now to what we can see in the future. Jesus gives us that assurance!

9/23/18 - The Master Servant - John 13:1-17

If I could go back in time and observe one major historical event it would be the death (followed by the resurrection) of Jesus. A close second would be the last supper he shared with his disciples. In that upper room Jesus gives his final sermon. It’s a powerful message about servanthood because it comes with a personal example. To recline at a table is to be in close proximity to others. Dinner cannot be served until feet have been washed. It’s a very humble job but someone has to do it. So Jesus takes it upon himself and does what the others will not do. It’s not Jesus’ fault their feet are dirty. Most people would say, “You take care of it! Be responsible for your own dirt!” However, Jesus says, “I will take care of it for you.” This is a foretaste of what he will do in just a few short hours but on a much grander scale. “I did not come to be served but to serve and give my life a ransom for many.” When finished washing the disciple's feet, Jesus delivers the punch line… If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. One tiny word makes all the difference – If. If Jesus is your Lord then he’s calling you to radical service. The world doesn’t owe us anything brothers and sisters. We’ve already been given everything in eternal terms. So let’s live and serve in light of that reality!

9/16/18 - The Glory Of God - John 12:20-36

Defining God’s glory is like trying to describe water to someone who has never experienced it. How would you begin? What would you use to compare? God’s glory is even more complex. It’s in a class of its own. I like to talk with my hands (you’ve probably noticed this). There are no hand gestures, no forms that can adequately describe God’s infinite worth and greatness…until you look at Jesus. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:3 In John chapter 12, verse 28 Jesus speaks to God, “Father, glorify your name.” God responds, “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again.” To glorify your name is to make something known about yourself. God’s glory is always magnificent. The greatest glorifying act in history is about to pierce human time. But first, Jesus must be “lifted up.” This is a reference to the cross. He will be lifted up and laid low and lifted up again. The final lifting is not unto death but resurrection. Is Jesus looking forward to it? (You want to say yes don’t you?) He is not. In fact, in verse 27 he says, “Now is my soul troubled.” Why? What’s wrong with Jesus? Is he some kind of coward? There have been and continue to be Christian martyrs who face death with peace and even joy. So what’s troubling his soul? Physical pain is not what causes Jesus to cry out to the father while hanging on the cross. It is the desolation, the isolation, the fulfillment of bearing the sins of the world and placating the wrath of a just God. That is what troubled Him. You see, Jesus was forsaken for our sakes. In this he shows us the path to how we too can glorify God through our own obedience.

9/9/18 - The Worthiness of Jesus - John 12:1-11

The beginning verses of John 12 contain what is perhaps the most devoted, loyal, and affectionate act ever done by an individual for Jesus. The woman's name is Martha. She gets it. She sees what others don't. She recognizes the man in front of her will die for her. So she demonstrates his worthiness by killing her pride and giving her best. WOW! What an example. To follow Jesus is to be like Martha. It is to say, "You alone are the one who is worthy of my obedience and all that I have." Just to prove this point - imagine buying a birthday gift for a friend and spending a year's worth of your wages on the present. This is what Martha does for Jesus. The beginning verses of John chapter 12 contain what is perhaps the most misguided, shortsighted, and deviant act ever done by one who claimed to follow Jesus. The man's name is Judas. He doesn't get it. He is blinded by sin. He attempts to rob Jesus of his worthiness. He demonstrates this by telling Martha her act of love is wasted on Jesus. WOW! What an example…to avoid. To be like Judas is to say, "Money, fame, popularity, there are plenty of things in this world that are worth more than Jesus." Eventually Judas will sell out for 30 pieces of sliver - about $200 in today's money. Martha gave in to the worthiness of Jesus and her life came alive. Judas denied the worthiness of Jesus and his life came to a tragic end. How worthy is Jesus to you?

9/2/18 - Jesus Weeps - John 11:1-44

Last Saturday I received news of a childhood friend who was suddenly and unexpectedly killed. For many, permanence is the bothersome thing about death. "I will never hold them, touch them, speak to them again." These words are commonly spoken by those who view death as the grand exit. However, the believer sees death in a different light. I think of the words of the great preacher Dwight Moody who sometime before his death penned his own eulogy… “Someday you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment, I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all; out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch; that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.” When Jesus appears at the grave of his good friend Lazarus he weeps. Why cry knowing Lazarus will be brought back to life? The tears of Jesus represent God's love for all humanity. People remain separated from God and dead in their sins without knowing Jesus. Jesus understands what it will cost him to rescue us. Jesus must be buried so we can be raised. Jesus must enter the beast of the belly so we can enter the presence of God. "Look at how he loves Lazarus!" they say. Let's not forget that his love for us is the motivation for his death.

8/26/18 - Scripture Cannot Be Broken - John 10:22-42

I have never witnessed a live mob killing someone and I hope I never do. I have however seen videos from Syria and Iraq. It feels unnatural. You can sense and feel the horror from the one who knows death is only seconds away. Jesus certainly knew the hatred. As you read John 10 you can picture Jesus surrounded by men holding large rocks ready to throw with deadly intent. What will the co-creator of the world do? With just a word to an angel he ends it. A simple wave of the hand and everything goes away. Not his style. Instead Jesus quotes Scripture. Why does He respond in this way? He tells you why – "Scripture cannot be broken." This phrase sums up his attitude toward the Bible. But what does it mean? If a promise is broken then the words did not come true. The words of God cannot be broken and therefore they always come true. The Bible is trustworthy. You see it's not enough to say, "I think Jesus was a good man." Jesus was a student of the Word. If you say, “Jesus is my example" then are the Scriptures central to your life? When you are surrounded by enemies and unwanted circumstances do you turn to the Bible? This is the backbone, the foundation for everything Jesus did.

8/19/18 - Jesus is the Good Shepherd - John 10:1-18

"The Lord is my shepherd." These words have brought countless people peace and comfort in the midst of difficult and trying times. For good reason. God is the ultimate caretaker of our souls. However, this phrase also reveals something about us. We are sheep. In the ancient world if you called someone a sheep they would not be happy with you. Why? Because sheep are dimwitted creatures. Wouldn't you rather be called a wild stallion? A horse breaks out of the fence and shouts, "I'm free!" A sheep wanders beyond the gate and says, "Where am I? Whose going to feed me? I'm in serious danger out here!" In other words, we as sheep are in constant need of help. That's the admission on our part when we say, "The Lord is my shepherd." There is no aspect of the sheep's life wherein the shepherd isn't involved. He's constantly feeding, leading, protecting, caring for the flock. This is what good shepherds do. So when Jesus describes himself in this way you can rest assured that he will never leave you or allow you to go without the things you really need.