CRCF\u201d\u201d5-16-10
\nAscension Sunday
\nIntroduction\u201d\u201dHow many of you remember this phrase from a TV commercial?
\n[Slide from Commercial]
\n\u201cIt\u201d\u2122s 10 p.m.\u201d\u201ddo you know where your children are?\u201d
\nThat commercial\u201d\u2122s aim was to encourage responsible, involved parenting. It\u201d\u2122s contention was that if you keep up with your kids, they\u201d\u2122ll be less apt to get into trouble or danger. It seemed pretty obvious, but in our world, it was a needed reminder of some uncommon, \u201ccommon sense\u201d for parenting.
\nThat\u201d\u2122s like the truth I want us to see this morning\u201d\u201da truth that we know but often miss the importance of. It\u201d\u2122s a well-known truth about Jesus that, if we\u201d\u2122ll remember it every day, can have an uncommon effect on our lives!
\nDo You Know Where Your Savior Is?
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\nMark 16:19-20 (NLT)
\n 19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God\u201d\u2122s right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\nLuke 24:50-53 (NLT)
\n 50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\nActs 1:1-11 (NLT)<\/p>\n
1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
\n 4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, \u201cDo not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.\u201d
\n 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, \u201cLord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?\u201d
\n 7 He replied, \u201cThe Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere\u201d\u201din Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.\u201d
\n 9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 \u201cMen of Galilee,\u201d they said, \u201cwhy are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!\u201d
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\nAscension Day was actually this past Thursday\u201d\u201d40 days after Easter Sunday.
\nJohn Piper
\nThe last thing Jesus says is a blessing . . . And very likely Jesus was taken up in the midst of his blessing in order to leave the inescapable impression that his leaving was a blessing.<\/p>\n
If we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\nHOW? How does remembering where Jesus is right now change our lives as we seek to follow Him?
\nI want us to notice 4 truths about the ascension that ought to enable us to be better followers of Jesus:
\n1.\tJesus\u201d\u2122 ascension means He finished His work.
\nHebrews 1:1-3 (NLT)
\n 1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God\u201d\u2122s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. <\/p>\n
When your work is done, you sit down. Jesus had said, \u201cIt is finished\u201d from the Cross. The Resurrection was God the Father\u201d\u2122s \u201cAmen\u201d to that. And then, the Ascension was the culmination of \u201ca day\u201d\u2122s work\u201d, so to speak, as Jesus arrived home and sat down!<\/p>\n
Hebrews 10:12-14 (NLT)<\/p>\n
12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God\u201d\u2122s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
\nWhen your work is done, you sit down. Jesus finished the work of redeeming all who will ever believe and He went home and sat down.
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\n2.\tJesus\u201d\u2122 ascension means He is interceding for us.
\nHebrews 7:23-25 (NLT)
\n 23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
\nThough He paid the price once for all, Jesus is always on the job for us, reminding the Father (so to speak) that He paid it all for us who believe!
\nHebrews 4:15 (NLT)
\n15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
\nJesus has been here\u201d\u201dHe knows what we go through! And every day, He sympathetically talks to His Father about us and our struggles. And they talk about His finished work on the Cross for US . . . and the Father is please with us because of Jesus!
\nRomans 8:33-34 (NLT)
\n33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one\u201d\u201dfor God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one\u201d\u201dfor Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God\u201d\u2122s right hand, pleading for us.
\nEven when others (most often religious folks) condemn us, even when our own hearts condemn us and tell us that we can\u201d\u2122t possibly expect to have a favor from God after what we\u201d\u2122ve just done, we can still be confident that God the Father does NOT condemn us because Jesus is right now pleading for us!
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\n3.\tJesus\u201d\u2122 ascension means we have His authority and power in this world through the Holy Spirit.
\nActs 1:4-5, 8 (NLT)
\n4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, \u201cDo not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit . . . 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere\u201d\u201din Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.\u201d
\nWe\u201d\u2122ll talk more about this next Sunday\u201d\u201dPentecost Sunday. But check it out\u201d\u201dwe are to be HIS witnesses, working in this world with HIS authority and in HIS power by the Holy Spirit who lives in us! He\u201d\u2122s given us ALL we need for the job He\u201d\u2122s assigned us to!
\nWe are representatives of the King of Kings who CAN \u201cgit\u201d\u2122r done\u201d because His Resurrection power is here for us by the presence of the Holy Spirit!
\nEphesians 1:19-23 (NLT)
\n19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God\u201d\u2122s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God\u201d\u2122s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else\u201d\u201dnot only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.<\/p>\n
More on this next Sunday, but . . . <\/p>\n
If we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\n4.\tJesus\u201d\u2122 ascension means that He will return.
\nActs 1:9-11 (NLT)
\n9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 \u201cMen of Galilee,\u201d they said, \u201cwhy are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!\u201d
\nThis deal ain\u201d\u2122t over! Just wait till Jesus comes BACK! The victory that He\u201d\u2122s already won will be eternally displayed and we\u201d\u2122ll be with Him face to face forever!
\n1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV)
\n 13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
\nPhilippians 2:9-11 (NLT)
\n 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
\n and gave him the name above all other names,
\n 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
\n in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
\n 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
\n to the glory of God the Father.
\nIf He had the power to die for our sins, be raised from the dead and ascend to the Father\u201d\u2122s right hand, Jesus WILL return in victory and take us to be with Him forever!
\nRevelation 22:1-5 (NLT)
\n 1 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
\n 3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. 4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there\u201d\u201dno need for lamps or sun\u201d\u201dfor the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!
\nDo you know where YOUR Savior is? He\u201d\u2122s on the throne! Your salvation is accomplished. You have a daily intercessor with the Father. His power can be your power as you follow Him. And He is coming again to take us home!
\nIf we remember where Jesus is right now, it will change the way that we follow Him!<\/p>\n
Celebration of the Lord\u201d\u2122s Supper
\nPrayer of Preparation
\nWe celebrate our Savior Who is the King of Kings! We celebrate our Advocate with the Father! We celebrate daily power for living through the Spirit of Jesus! We celebrate Jesus\u201d\u2122 soon return and our eternity in with Him in heaven!
\nCome celebrate, knowing where your Savior is right now!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CRCF\u201d\u201d5-16-10 Ascension Sunday Introduction\u201d\u201dHow many of you remember this phrase from a TV commercial? [Slide from Commercial] \u201cIt\u201d\u2122s 10 p.m.\u201d\u201ddo you know where your children are?\u201d That commercial\u201d\u2122s aim was to encourage responsible, involved parenting. It\u201d\u2122s contention was that if … Continue reading