![]() Until then, be the light so others will see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven! On Sunday, we’ll unpack it and see that it’s really more like the celebration at a graduation, complete with rewards. The thought of being “judged” certainly seems unsettling. Most likely, you’ve never heard of the Bema of Jesus. And then He will reward us for all that we have done for His glory. Jesus will assess our every thought, motive, and action. When we stand before the Bema of Christ, our faithful service to Him will be evaluated and rewarded. It will be an assessment (not a judgment in the way we normally think) of our stewardship for Jesus. So, what’s at stake? The good works we have done as Christians. As Paul says in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Again, in Ephesians 1, he makes it clear that, “In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” This is not a judgment which will determine whether we get into heaven or not. That’s been settled by the death of Jesus on the cross for your sins. The issue at the Bema of Christ will not be our eternal destiny. Athletes would “appear” before the bema after completing their events, where the judges would ensure they competed according to the rules and then award the prizes for winning. In New Testament times, the bema was a raised platform used by the judges in the Greek games. The New Testament is clear that a day is coming when you and me and all believers must all appear before the “Bema” – what many call the “judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor 5:10). What we do, how we do it, and why we do it are all going to be considered by God on a day when we, as Christians, will stand before Him. And this Sunday, we will see that Scripture tells us those everyday good works have consequences in the kingdom to come. You have been created in Jesus with purpose and significance in His Kingdom, to do good works every day for His glory. ![]() And the way in which God has crafted you determines what He intends for you to do. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) You are the crown of God’s creation! He has taken great care in uniquely designing you. We’re not just hearers of the Word, we are doers! ![]() We refer to it as "Illuminate 2.0." Our first five years gave us the opportunity to grow and discover our personality and now is the time to mature by having the entire church family put our collective personality into practice. Beginning Sunday, September 12th, I’ll be rolling out what this looks like as I share the future vision of the church. We are about to embark on an amazing journey together as a church family. It’s our testimony accompanied with the fact of the resurrection. We do that through our lifestyle and our words. You see, every one of us is called to be a witness. James 1:22Paul’s trials remind us of our calling. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. But there is a warning for a church like ours. So we will attract people who want to know what the Bible says and that’s a really good thing. In all of our ministries throughout the church I know this is true. I think one thing people would say about Illuminate is that we teach the Bible and we love others. Each church has something they are known for. Christians are born through the power of the Holy Spirit.I was thinking about how each church has its own personality. Paul was told to be a witness, he was not told to make Christians. Indeed, as Jesus told him earlier, “You will be my witness to Kings.” In Acts chapters 24 and 25 there are no converts in Paul’s preaching. A couple years earlier, Jesus told him this:“Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” Acts 23:11 In the Roman court of Caesar, Paul will have the opportunity to preach to the most powerful man in the world at this time. If only he wouldn’t have appealed to Caesar he would have been set free. So why would Paul make this deal? From a human perspective Paul made a mistake. ![]() One of the all-time preeminent killers of Christians. In case you’re wondering, that would be the infamous Emperor Nero. So another trial is offered in the hostile city of Jerusalem. ![]() Yet the powers that be don’t want to offend the Jews. Paul has had three separate trials with not one guilty verdict because he is innocent. ![]()
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