Illuminate Community Church

"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!

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!

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.

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?

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.

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.

"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.

What Jesus does in our passage this Sunday is awesome - and also pretty strange. If you’ve payed attention to the life of Jesus, He often times does things that no one expects. We’ve seen Him walk across water, tell a storm to be quiet, have dinner parties with the city’s worst enemy, on and on we could go. However untimely and unexpected, these moments in The Lord’s ministry have eternal purposes. We’ll look at John 9 this Sunday and take a front row seat at the scene of a miracle and conversation that will reveal our true “spiritual sight.” So excited to share this message with you Illuminate Family.

Last year Jill and I were invited to a small gathering with a celebrity chef. People stood in line to get a free, signed copy of one of his books. That's when it happened. A case of mistaken identity. When Jill approached the table he asked her name. "Jill" she replied. He responded, "Oh you're Jill, I've heard so much about you! It's so great to finally meet you!" Now believe me, I'll be the first to say that my wife is a fantastic cook. But to be known by a famous chef; not quite yet. The best part about it is that Jill just went with it. "It's nice to finally meet you as well." It's kind of an inside joke now between us. Come to our house and if Jill isn't busy creating something delicious, then you might get a chance to meet her too. Jesus never left a hint of mistaken identity. He could not have made it any clearer. In John 8 Jesus actually claimed the very name of God for himself. This message was not lost on the religious elite. They picked up stones to kill him for blasphemy. They couldn't come to accept Jesus as God because they did not know God. They had a different spiritual heritage and it was from the devil. You see, everyone is in one of two families under the authority of one of two fathers: God or Satan. The way in which you answer the question: Who is Jesus? will determine which family you're in.

In Dependence Day John 8:31-47 This week Americans will celebrate their independence. It’s the day when we declared our freedom. It’s been said that no other country values its freedom quite like Americans because against all odds, we gained it over one of the most powerful countries in the world at that time. Ever since then it seems that American's right to rule themselves has been extended to the individual. Not long ago a group of young Americans was asked to pick from a list of virtues the ones they identified with the most. I would have thought virtues like generosity and compassion would be at the top. But instead their top choice was autonomy. Autonomy is defined by freedom of external control or influence. It’s the idea that I will decide for myself what to believe. No one will tell me how to live. A little over two years ago an article appeared in the Atlantic and it simply stated that the desire for autonomy is really a desire for power. The author put it this way: “Power as autonomy is a form of power that allows one person to ignore and resist the influence of others and thus to shape one’s own destiny.” So if you think of the most powerful people the world has ever known, they are also the most autonomous. Napoleon, Caeser, Darth Vader. They act unilaterally. There’s no restraint, no outside influence that controls them or holds them accountable. So in the end, autonomy proves to be yet another expression of one’s drive for power. So what sounds virtuous is actually self-serving. In John chapter 8 Jesus says that true freedom comes in dependence upon him. You see freedom is found in a person and it's not you or me.

The phrase, "Not of this world" is perhaps best known for a clothing company. However, these are words spoken by Jesus about His kingdom. I think they sound pretty cool. Like something from a sci-fi movie. In truth, these words carry more practical implications than anything found in Star Wars. You see, Jesus is telling us that in the midst of the cracked, brokenness, and fractures of this planet, our ultimate home is with God. Meanwhile we wait and we hope and we do God's work of bringing a taste of His kingdom to earth. We are not alone in this. Jesus is our light in the darkness and our shade from the heat. There are people around you asking, “Is this all there is?” You say, "No, we were built for something different, for something greater. Outside the confines of this earth there is permanent love, laughter, a kingdom full of life and beauty and nobility. Join us by following Jesus there!"

In Old Testament times, attorneys didn't really exist in Israel. Defending the accused was such a sacred duty that the judge refused to delegate the work to anyone else. The judge himself served as the defender of the accused. The Jewish Encyclopedia gives insight: “attorneys at law are unknown in Jewish law.” Their legal code required judges to “lean always to the side of the defendant and give him the advantage of every possible doubt.” However, things had changed by the time of Jesus. The Pharisees were in power and they were not just. Instead of using the law appropriately, they manipulated it for their purposes and their primary purpose was to ensnare Jesus. To do this they entrap an adulterous woman and bring her before him. Outwardly Jesus is between a rock and hard place. But in reality this is never the case. Will he side with Moses and declare the death penalty, or will he prove to be the gentle man he says he is? Will he exercise justice or compassion? He does both because he is Jesus. In the middle of the text is the popular statement, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." These words are misunderstood and therefore misused. Jesus isn't saying that only perfect people can judge. That would have no affect on the Pharisees. Instead he says to them they have no right to judge because in this very moment they are guilty of breaking the law. In other words, hypocrites don't get to sit in the judge's seat.

We've all felt the sting of rejection. Jesus knows the pain. In John chapter 5 we see the religious leaders reject him, in chapter 6 most of his disciples leave. In the beginning of chapter 7 we see his family refusing to believe in him. In 7:25-52 we see his own people question his credentials. Through all of the scorn Jesus stays on mission when in the middle of a massive gathering for a Jewish holiday, he raises his voice and shouts, "Come to me! Believe in me! Living water will flow from your heart!" This "living water" is a reference to the Spirit of God. God giving His people His Spirit. This is a radical distinctive of Christianity. Christianity is not just right doctrine or a social vision for the world, it is above all, a relationship. It's a direct experience with the love of God and the power of God found in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Peter explains it this way. 2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness, (we don't need to search for it anywhere else) (and here's how we get it) through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Peter says Christians are partakers of the divine nature - WOW! That's not some humanistic New Age statement. It's referring to the Spirit of God residing within the hearts of his people. Notice the Spirit's impact – you are able to "escape the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." This gift of the Spirit is made possible by the death of Jesus. Do you have that gift? It's available to you and John explains how.

"The Will to do God's Will" John 7:1-24; Pastor Jason Fritz

You've probably noticed that it's easy to get swept up in the crowd mentality. Mob psychology is very powerful and it causes us to act without thinking. Perhaps you've even seen this in yourself. It's not hard to get carried away by the tide of culture. You don't even have to put forth an effort. Simply step into the current and you're floating along. This is what Jesus experienced not long after feeding several thousand people. All but a few were following him for what they could get out of him. So when Jesus calls the people to something deeper, they begin to leave. In this moment you can sense the tender heart of Jesus as he turns to Peter and asks, "Do you want to leave also?" Peter's response is the bare minimum and yet it is profound. "Lord, to whom shall we go. You have words of eternal life." Dietrich Bonhoeffer said this: "Discipleship is not an offer that man makes to Christ." He's right. Discipleship is the high calling from Jesus to live a life of reckless abandon for the Kingdom of God!