Sermon supplement, Lord’s Day, June 11, 2006
Kihei Baptist Chapel, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
THE PERSONAL VALUE OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
Text: Acts 1:9-11; 2:32, 33; 7:55, 56; Mark 16:19; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:14-16; Ephesians 1:22, 23; Ephesians 4:8, 11.
Glenn Armstrong, D.D. Pastor
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THE PERSONAL VALUE OF THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST BACK TO HEAVEN
Glenn Armstrong D.D. Pastor
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Introduction: Most believers never study the Ascension of our Lord back into heaven nor have they heard a message on the subject. However, this is a major part of God's redemptive program as well as a most important event in every believer's ministry of Christian service.
With every doctrinal truth taught in the scriptures, there are also human duties, accountability and responsibilities. For instance: 1) Calvary pays and pardons us from our sins, yet every individual must personally accept it for themselves. 2) The resurrection provides justification from God and offers a new life to every believer, yet the believer must choose to believe in the resurrection and to live a new life. 3) The ascension provides spiritual gifts (enablements) to serve the Lord here on earth while He is ministering as our Priest before God in heaven, yet the believer must use the given gifts and trust in the Lord as our Priest. 4) Pentecost provides power of the Holy Spirit to make our gifted ministries successfully functional, yet the believer must faithfully and consciously trust the Holy Spirit's power (the same power used at the creation of the universe!) to work through us as we serve the Lord.
Everything in the Christian experience anticipates a divine/human cooperative. When this breaks down, it is always on our part as believers. We fail to follow by faith in God's faithfulness and often substitute our own inventiveness.
I. THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE CERTAINTY OF SERVICE
A. Scripture: Acts 1:9-11
B. Question: Why are we waiting?
C. Exegesis of the text:
1. Immediately after the commission to be worldwide witnesses the Lord was raptured, "taken up." Raptures are Biblical truth such as with Enoch, Elijah, Jesus, Paul, the church and two witnesses in Revelation 11.
2. The disciples continued to watch the rapture of the Lord until a cloud from heaven encompassed Christ. The cloud was one of the Old Testament symbols of the presence of Jehovah.
3. This the last event in the life of the Lord on earth during His
first coming.
4. Jesus did not just vanish or disappear. He passed beyond their vision.
5. The first post-ascension message from heaven was a promise sent by angels reassuring the disciples of the certainty of the Lord’s second coming.
6. The Lord’s return will be in the same manner in which He ascended – public and visible.
7. The Lord expected immediate obedience to His commission to share the gospel.
II. THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE GIVING OF GIFTS
A. Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-11
B. Question: How are we to serve God?
C. Exegesis of the text:
1. God gives "grace" to every believer. This use of grace is "divine favor" needed to assist believers in serving the Lord.
2. The gifts that are given to believers for service are dispensed as it pleases Christ. These gifts are Holy Spirit empowered areas of service for the Lord in which a believer can effectively and productively minister within the Christian cause.
3. The giving of spiritual gifts is connected with the ascension of Christ, as is His "leading captivity captive". This phrase pictures a conqueror leading his defeated armies into public view and celebration. The ascension finalized the eternal state of lost individuals.
4. At the ascension spiritual gifts were given to individual believers and spirit gifted people were given to the church for evangelism, leadership, training and teaching.
III. THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE ACCESS TO GOD
A. Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-16
B. Question: Why would we want human priests?
C. Exegesis of the text:
1. Jesus is called our"great high priest" only here. He assumed the role of our priest when he ascended into heaven.
2. As our priest, he can represent us to God the Father both as one who has experienced the human condition without sinning and who has also paid for our sins. No human priest could do either of these actions.
3. Jesus, as our priest, experienced the same temptations common to all of us and thus can understand our feelings and infirmities.
4. One of the Baptist distinctive is the "priesthood of the believer." This means we are invited by God to come directly to Him in prayer, confession, forgiveness and for assistance; we need, without the use of a human agency.
5. We are to come "boldly" and without hesitancy. This is difference from disrespectfully.
IV. THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE COMPASSIONATE SAVIOR
A. Scripture: Acts 7:55, 56
B. Does Jesus really care about human hardships?
C. Exegesis of the text:
1. When Jesus ascended, He sat down at the right hand of God the Father in a position of power and authority.
2. Yet, this position was not to be understood as separation from the sufferings and difficulties of His followers. Jesus cared while He was on earth and He does not care any less now in heaven.
3. Stephen was one of the first deacons (servants) of the early church. Almost immediately following the ascension and his selection to the office of deacon, Stephen was murdered rather than denounce faith.
4. At the moment of his death, Stephen was allowed to look to heaven and saw the Lord, not seated, but standing at the right hand of God waiting to receive him to heaven!
5. As Stephen was being stoned to death, one person was identified by name as being part of his execution – Saul, later to become the Apostle Paul.
6. Saul could not get over seeing the glory of God reflected in the face of Stephen. The next time Saul saw this glory it was from the presence of the resurrected, ascended Lord. The second time Saul become a believer.
GAA/June, 2006
