Illuminate Community Church

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.

12/16/18 - Joy For All People - Luke 2:8-20

As of the late 20th century, "Joy to the World" was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America. But it might surprise you to know that when Isaac Watts wrote it he didn’t intend for it to be this way. It’s not really about the birth of Jesus. It’s not about His first coming, it’s about His second coming. The song is filled with the language of Jesus reigning and ruling over the earth and it’s based on Psalm 98. However, if the question is: how should we respond to the birth of Jesus? Luke says the response is clear: Joy! And this is what the very first word of Watt’s song shouts. Joy to the world the Lord is come, let earth receive her king!

For this joy to be received it must first be heard. Mary heard and contemplated all that the shepherds were saying about Jesus. Three words described her baby like no other: Savior, Christ, Lord. Mary would listen to angels but she also had the humility to listen to ordinary shepherds. God speaks in ordinary ways today lest we miss it. They had angels but we have a book.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

Christmas means God looked at us and saw the mess we were in and wrote himself into the story. He didn’t just write himself in, He came and died for us. Jesus gave up His joy so He could become our joy. Joy is a person, the person of Jesus Christ. That’s what the angel announced to the shepherds and the shepherds told Mary and she treasured and pondered it all. This season let's do what Mary did by taking it to heart and asking, "How does this announcement fit in with what I know and what I do and how I live?"

12/8/18 -Peace With God - Luke 2:8-15

If you ask people to tell you the meaning of Christmas you're going to hear a common response: "Peace on earth!" That announcement was made by an angel to shepherds over 2000 years ago and what has changed? In the history of the world there has been more bloodshed in the last 100 years than all previous years combined. The optimists among us who believe in the inevitable progress of man either forget or ignore that the last century has seen 60 million people killed in nation vs. nation conflict. This is why Christmas is met with such eagerness. We long for peace on earth. However, people are confused by what the angel's announcement truly means. Here's the full quote from Luke's gospel: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace amongst those with whom He is pleased." The is the greatest proclamation ever made. It was given to lowly shepherds which tells us this peace is available to all people. We also understand this peace is not between nations or between people but it is between us and God. It is for those with whom God is pleased. How do we please God? By accepting the peace offering of His son Jesus Christ. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 How would others know you have peace with God? Answer - you become a peacemaker. You don't have to wait for others to initiate. God went to the greatest length possible to secure an eternal future of peace for you. So don't sweat the small stuff and by the way, even the big stuff isn't so big in light of the fact that you're life's biggest challenge has already been overcome. You have peace with God!

12/2/18 - What Child Is This? - Luke 2:22-35

The Christmas season has arrived. This year a local radio station was playing Christmas music just after Halloween! The images of shepherds and wise men suddenly appear in front yards and in the mall. But before there were shepherds traveling to see Jesus and before wise men began to seek him, there was another. Close your eyes and picture an old man waiting to die but not before he experiences the greatest moment of his entire life. His name is Simeon and he was the first to recognize that little baby as the fulfillment of hundreds of years of Old Testament prophecy. In fact, this is why he was waiting to die. God promised he would see the Messiah before departing this earth. Simeon also proclaimed something unusual but it is part of the Christmas story: "This child is appointed for the rise and fall of many in Israel." He was right. Jesus attracted some and repelled others. Some rise and some fall. One rises by receiving the peace of Jesus when confronted with his or her sins and responds in repentance. Others fall because they reject his work on the cross. Simeon found his hope by focusing on the Messiah. He said, “I know the Messiah and nothing else matters on this earth, I can die.” This Christmas let's remember that Jesus is the one who causes us to rise!

11/25/18 - Jesus Prays For The Church - John 17:20-26

Jesus makes His final request for the church as He prays to the Father for our unity, testimony, and security in His love.

CHRISTIAN LOVE IS VISIBLE BECAUSE IT IS COSTLY.

CHRISTIAN LOVE BRINGS UNITY BECAUSE IT SHOWS NO PARTIALITY.

CHRISTIAN LOVE IS HEALING BECAUSE IT FORGIVES.