Sermon for Lord's Day July September 10, 2023 The Ascension of Christ

We love you, Shirley. Praise the Lord. Shirley, when she got here this morning, Shirley's one of the first people to get here in the mornings. She just walked up in the sanctuary and she said, I love this church.

I was in the booth in there and said, we love you too, Shirley. What a blessing. What a blessing it is that we get to spend this time together today. If you want to go ahead and find your place in the text, Luke chapter 24, before we stand to honor the reading of God's word, let's pray together.

We're going to be in Luke chapter 24. We're going to be reading verse, actually from 44, just down to verse 50. I'm sorry, 51 today, but let's go to the Lord in prayer. Our great God, we come before you this morning as a body, as a congregation, bowing for you because you are, as we sang in that song, holy.

The angels declared holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. So Lord, as we come before your throne this morning, we come recognizing that we in and of ourselves are not fit, nor do we have the qualifications in and of ourselves to be before you.

But we come before your throne based upon the finished work of Christ on the cross today. Because you told us in your word that we, based upon what you have accomplished, based upon what you have done, Lord, that we can come boldly unto the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help us in time of need.

Lord, today we are in great need. God, I stand in need as a preacher today. I need, I would ask you, Lord, please, God, give me clarity in my mind. Give me liberty with my mouth. And I might speak forth the words of life as we have studied and prepared.

God, I pray for those who hear the word of God today, Lord. That you, I trust, God, that you have already been at work in their hearts and their minds. For you know the needs of your people, Lord. For we don't know their needs, but you know their needs.

And I pray, God, that through the preaching of your word that you would meet the needs in the hearts and in the minds and the lives of your people. God, today, for those who stand in need of assurance, who stand in need of light, who stand in need of liberty.

God, that you would provide that to them today, dear Lord, so that every heart and every soul in this place, when they go out, will know that they have heard from the Lord. I pray, God, that you would save the lost, that you encourage the disheartened saint.

Dear God, that you excite, that you fan the flame of fire that you have given within us as your people. Dear God, give us a burden, a desire, a passion, a hunger, a thirst for righteousness, God, which we find in your word.

And God, cause us to go out emboldened in the power of the Holy Spirit of God to proclaim the good news of the gospel to those who are doomed and damned and dying in this world. Thank you again for this great privilege and this great honor.

I pray, Lord, you bless in this time of the preaching and teaching of your word. Show us Christ in the scriptures today. For it's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Stand with us, if you would, to honor the reading of God's word.

Luke chapter 24, verses 44 through 51. These are the words of the living God. Then he said to them, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, thus, it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my father upon you. Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands.

He blessed them. And while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. Thus far is the reading of God's holy word today. If you are taking notes today, I would like to put a tablet or a header on the notes.

It's titled this, the ascension of Christ and why it was necessary. And I will preface this. It was my thinking, my thought process that likely we would be wrapping up Luke's gospel with this sermon. But as we studied, as we prepared for today's message, I see that we might be in Luke just at least a couple of more weeks.

I know there's just a couple of more verses, but there is so much in this. And we do not want to leave. We want to leave as little as little on the table as we can, as much on the table as we can. So as we consider this passage today, notice in verse 44, in verse 44, he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.

You recall last week and the week before us, as we looked at this conversation that Jesus had with the disciples, the two disciples, Cleopas and an unnamed disciple on the road to Emmaus. And we see how that Christ himself proclaimed himself to them from the scriptures of the Old Testament, both the law and the prophets and the writings, as we have it in the scriptures, and how Christ continually points to the fact that it was absolutely necessary that he should suffer these things and enter into his glory.

There are some folks in some circles of the church today who would deny the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement, who would boldly and dogmatically say that, no, that is not what the scriptures teach.

Nevertheless, that is what the scriptures teach. Christ died an atoning death for my sin and for your sin. Christ in our place. This is the heart of the doctrine of justification by faith. Our faith is not in a movement.

Our faith is not in the denomination. Our faith has an object and his name is Jesus Christ. For Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures. And so we see this as we move through kind of picking getting a little bit of context for where we're picking up today.

So we remember last week they drew near to the village. Christ had opened to them all the scriptures. They begged him to stay with him. And as Christ himself broke bread with them, their eyes were open and they recognized him and saw him for who he was.

And so there are five times. I believe it's five times on this first Easter Sunday, if you would have it this day of Christ's resurrection, that he appears to his disciples five times. And so where we're picking up here, we see this last instance of where Christ shows up in the midst of his disciples.

Remember, Cleopas and that other disciple walked seven miles to Emmaus at the very next morning. They hopped up, they ran back to Jerusalem to meet with the disciples. And it is here where we pick up in the text.

Christ shows up there within their midst, showing them that he is flesh and blood. We talked a little bit about the doctrine of glorification, glorified bodies. We touched on that just a little bit last week.

And here is where we pick up today in verse 44. He reminds them these are my words. If there's everything ever, any word that you can count on, you can count on the word of God. It is led in the rock.

It is firm. It is fixed. It is steadfast. It is sure. It is true, through and through. So Christ said, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was with you, that everything, not some of, but everything that was written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

So we see the necessity of Christ's death. We see the necessity of Christ's resurrection. And so he goes on. Then the scripture says, then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. If you're saved today, you know what it is to be once in the dark.

You know what it is if you were saved to not understand the word of God, to have the word of God be disaffected or uneffectual in and upon your heart and upon your mind. But if you are saved, the word of God has effect on your mind.

It has effect on your heart. By the way, a lot of times I think, I think it's wrongly, it's wrongly inverted. The focus is on the heart. But my friend, the word of God comes through the ear canal. It comes by hearing.

You're saved by the hearing of the word of God. And you're saved by placing your faith and your trust and your confidence in the very word of God. So God opened their minds to understand. If you are to be saved today, if you are saved or if you are to be saved today, it will be because God has opened your heart.

And God has opened your mind that you can now once for all see the simplicity of the gospel. The gospel is not do this and do that. The gospel is not if you go through this ritual or you go through this routine, you will be saved.

The gospel is this, believe and be saved. What must you believe today? That Christ died for your sins. What must you believe? That Christ was buried and that on the third day Christ arose from the grave.

What must you do?

What must you believe to be saved? That after Christ was raised, what we're going to look at today is to believe that Christ ascended to the Father. This is a great hope for the believer. This is a great confidence to your weary and your worn down, broken soul.

The ascension of Christ is of the utmost importance. And so that is why today we take time to focus on this doctrine. So he said, he goes on in verse 46 and he said to them, thus it is written that Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.

So he's speaking to his disciples and he says, this is the reality. And this reality is what is to be proclaimed. It is written, he said, Christ should suffer and rise from the dead. And that repentance, that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.

Now, repentance and forgiveness of sins.

They go hand in hand.

How can you know that you are saved? Because you are repenting. Repentance doesn't come, is it turning over a new leaf? Repentance is not just deciding you're going to try to do better. Repentance is an everyday process in the life of the believer.

Repentance is not once and done, but it's once and do it again.

And then do it again.

And then do it again.

Somebody may be thinking preacher, you're talking about somebody else because I don't need it. Well, maybe you need to be saved then.

Because you are not sinless.

We struggle with sin in the flesh. But thanks be unto God. So, going on, moving forward here in the text. And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.

Now we see this, the literal text, Jesus is telling them it's going to start in Jerusalem. And so this is where we see in the latter portion, what we're not going to get into today. But where Christ commanded them, go to stay in Jerusalem.

Hang out here, because this is about the 40th or so, 40 to 43rd day after his resurrection. And in just a few days, Pentecost is coming. This is where the Lord promised the sin, the Holy Spirit, the comforter of his church.

And by the sinning of the Holy Spirit, the comforter to his church. That the church would have power to proclaim the Gospel message to all the world. It's amazing and it is beautiful. And so in verse 48, Christ says, you are witnesses of these things.

And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. Let's pause there for just a moment. What is this promise of the Father? The promise of the Father is the comforter. Now as Jesus in John's Gospel is talking to the disciples.

He reminds them and he tells them these words. It is absolutely necessary. It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the comforter will not come. But if I go away, he will come.

And when he comes, he will reprove the world of righteousness, sin and judgment. He will lead the believer, the saints of God into all truth and into all righteousness. It is by the person and the work of the Holy Spirit.

This is why in the doxology that we don't just praise the name of Jesus. We praise the Father, we praise the Son and we praise the Holy Spirit. Because they are three in one. They all three deserve equal worship.

One God manifests in three persons. That is the doctrine of the Trinity.

Going on.

You are witnesses of these things. Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And then the scripture says in verse 50. As he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands, he blessed them.

Now this was the custom and this was the practice of a blessing to lift up your hands unto. Who was Jesus lifting his hands unto? Unto the Father. And who was he blessing? He was blessing the disciples here.

While he blessed them, the scripture says, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

Stop there.

That is where we are going to focus our time and our energy this morning.

J .C. Ryle said this.

Let us always glory in the cross of Christ. Let us view it as the source of all of our hopes and the foundation of all of our peace. Ignorance and unbelief may see nothing in the sufferings of Calvary but the cruel martyrdom of an innocent person.

But faith will look deeper. Faith will see the death of Jesus as the payment of our enormous debt to God and the complete salvation of all who believe. By the way, Jesus said in John 6, all that the Father has given to me will come to me.

All that the Father has given to me, I have lost none. You can be confident of this today in Christ. Matthew Henry said concerning Christ's command for them to preach. He said, what must they preach? They must preach the gospel.

They must preach the New Testament as the full accomplishment of the old. As the continuation and the conclusion of divine revelation. What a word that Matthew Henry gave there. So today, as we draw near to a close to the end of this book of Luke, we will examine the ascension of Christ.

The ascension. So let us define our terms here.

Very important.

So when we use this term ascension, in the Greek, in the text here, notice what the scripture says. Verse 51, while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. This is where we draw the doctrine of the ascension.

The Greek words, there's actually two Greek words used for this that mean the same thing. I may or may not be pronouncing those correctly due to a hillbilly accent. Nevertheless, the terms used for what is referred to the ascension are these two words.

And these words are used, I believe, ten times. Ten times in nine verses in the New Testament. And so literally what this word means to be carried up. It literally means to carry or to bring up. To carry or to bring up.

Or to offer unto. And another usage means to bear up. To bear up means carrying the load. So we see this term used. Particularly, one example outside of this passage, we see it used in Hebrews chapter 9.

Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 23. This is what the word of God says. Hebrews chapter 9 and beginning in verse 23 through 28. The scripture says this. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites.

But the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered into holy places made with hands. Which are but copies of the true things. But he has entered into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly. As the high priest enters the holy places every year with the blood that was not his own. For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.

But as it is, he has appeared once for all. At the end of the ages to put away sin. How? By the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed one to man once to die. And after this comes the judgment.

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many. Will appear a second time. Not to deal with sin. But to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Point one. Why is the ascension an important doctrine for us to know and to understand?

Because we understand that in the ascension. Just as Christ promised his disciples. Just as they saw him go away. They will see him come again. Or we will see him come again. In like manner one day. No man knows the day.

No man knows the hour of that time. So as we consider today in detail. This doctrine. The ascension of Christ. Let's keep in mind. That the doctrine of the ascension. The doctrine of the ascension. It's just as important as any other biblical doctrine.

It is as important as the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture. It is on the same level as the doctrine of the virgin birth.

The sinless life.

And the substitutionary atoning of our Lord. It is as important. And equally connected with the doctrine of the physical bodily resurrection. The physical bodily resurrection. And the literal physical bodily return of Jesus Christ one day.

Okay.

For if our Lord had not ascended into heaven. We would have no intercessor. Number two. Why the doctrine of the ascension is so important. Because it assures us that we have one who intercedes for us.

We have one who intercedes for us. Again, back in Hebrews chapter 7. If you just back up two chapters there in Hebrews chapter 7. Beginning in verse 22 through 28. Notice what the word of God teaches us.

This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. A better covenant than that of the old covenant. The old covenant was kept by the sacrifice of the blood of bulls and of goats. Which were not sufficient to satisfy the wrath of God.

Because once every year, sacrifices had to be made again.

And guess what?

The next year sacrifices had to be made again. And again and again. But notice what the word of God says here. The former priests were many in number. Because they were prevented by death from continuing in their office.

The earthly natural priesthood was limited. In that the one who made the sacrifices did not live forever. There always had to be somebody to stand in their place. But notice again the word of God. But he holds his priesthood permanently.

Christ is not a temporary priest. Christ is an eternal priest. Because he continues forever.

How do we know this?

Because he lives. And because he ascended. And because he ever makes intercession for the saints of God as our great high priest. Verse 25 there. Consequently he is able to save. Boy this is good news right here.

He is able to save to the uttermost. He is able to save anybody. He is able to save everybody. He is able to save whomever he chooses to save. And you can be sure of this brothers and sisters in Christ.

That if you are saved you are forever and eternally kept by the power of almighty God. Going on. From the text here. Going on in the text. Still in Hebrews 7. We draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest.

Holy.

Innocent. Unstained. Separate from sinners. And exalted above the heavens. He has no need like those high priests to offer sacrifices daily. First for his own sins and then for those of the people. Since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests. But the word of the oath which came later than the law. Appoints a son who has been made perfect forever. The great confidence that we can have in the doctrine of the ascension is that he ever lives.

And that he intercedes for us.

Consider.

Consider the deacon Stephen.

In the book of Acts.

If you go over back into the book of Acts. I believe it is chapter 7. Maybe chapter 6. Let's look.

Acts.

Acts chapter 7.

Actually.

In Acts chapter 7.

We notice.

If you're familiar with this. I encourage you to reread it. If you're not familiar with this text. I encourage you to read it for the first time. Familiarize yourself with this passage. This is beautiful.

And this is amazing. What we see in this text. So Stephen gives his sermon. To those who would hear. Or turns out those who refuse to hear. But nevertheless he preaches Jesus to them. He proclaims from the Old Testament scriptures.

That Jesus is the promised Messiah. As we examine this. Or we skim through this little text here. Notice how Jesus is shown to advocate. Notice how Jesus is shown to stand up. Notice how Jesus is there.

Giving assurance unto Stephen. Even as Stephen dies for his faith. You say you mean there's not a happy ending? What happier ending could there be for a believer. Than to go home to be with her Lord. And this is what we see in the text.

But notice.

Stephen preaches. He preaches the truth. Beginning with how God gave the promise to Abraham. Then he preaches how God gave it to Moses.

Then to Solomon.

And then in defiance of the idolatrous system of worship. Which he was standing there against. By the idolatrous system of the practicing Jews of his day. He calls them stiff necked. And uncircumcised.

Now that's the way to get people to love you right there. And that's exactly what the scripture says. He said to them. You stiff necked people. You're uncircumcised in heart and ears. Now this was particularly of great importance.

Because the Jewish culture held great pride. And held great. I guess.

They gave a lot of.

They put a lot of weight in. On the circumcision of the flesh. But Christ repeatedly taught. In the Old Testament.

People miss this.

And in the New Testament. That it's not the circumcision of the flesh that makes you right in the sight of God. But it's the circumcision of the heart. The work that God does.

Inside the heart.

And in the mind of men. So Stephen says. You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did. So do you. And then he goes on. Laying it on heavy here.

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed the ones who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one. Speaking of the Messiah. Whom you have now betrayed and murdered.

That wasn't the first time they've heard this. That wasn't the first time that the truth had been communicated.

That Christ died at their hands.

He said you received the law as delivered by angels. But you did not keep it. Now the scripture says. When they heard these things. When they heard the preaching of Stephen. They were enraged. And they growled.

They grinded their teeth. And gnashed their teeth at him. But the text says.

But he.

Being full of the Holy Spirit. Gazed up into heaven. And he saw the glory of God. And not only did he see the glory of God. But he saw Jesus. Standing at the right hand of the throne of God. Now if Jesus had not ascended.

Then he would not have seen Jesus there. But brothers and sisters. Christ ascended. As a matter of fact the scripture says in another place. He ascended on high. He led captivity captive. And he gave gifts to men.

Notice going on here though. In that particular Acts text. He said behold. I see the heavens open. And the son of man standing at the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice. And they stopped their ears.

And they rushed together at him.

Literally. Literally.

They put their fingers in their ears. Now is that very mature? I would love to get video of some of you husbands. When your wife is trying to tell you something. Just put your fingers in your ears. And shake your head at her.

And grind your teeth. What a sweet spirit of fellowship that produces. In the home. Or in the public square. But this is what these.

Imbecilic.

Hard hearted. Stiff necked. Rebellious men and women did. They refused to hear the word. And they cast him out of the city. And they stoned him.

And.

As they were stoning Stephen. The Bible says they laid down their garments. At the feet of a young man named Saul. And so falling to his knees. Stephen cried out with a loud voice. And he said Lord. Do not hold this sin against them.

And when he had said this. He fell asleep. But his consolation. His comfort. His peace. Was not found. In getting out of this. But his comfort. His consolation. And his peace.

Came from Christ.

Who ascended.

And who sits at the right hand. Of the throne of God. Concerning the statement. Made back there in Luke again. Concerning the statement made in Luke.

As he lifted his hands.

And he blessed him. G. Campbell Morgan said this. While we see those uplifted hands. There can be no room for doubt or fear. For when other menacing hands. Are stretched out to harm us or to vex us.

Whether in life or death.

Whether in adversity or prosperity.

In sorrow or in joy.

We know that by that token. By the lifting of his hands. That we are safe. The earthly tabernacle. As we read to you. Concerning there in Hebrews. The earthly tabernacle. Was only a tithe and a shadow.

It was only a blurry image. Of the heavenly tabernacle. And let's not forget. That the veil of the tabernacle. When Christ died on the cross. Cried out it is finished. Hung his head bowed the ghost. The veil of that tabernacle.

And the holy of holies in the temple. Was ripped and twanged.

Tore in two.

Not from the bottom to the top.

But from the top to the bottom. And the scripture even tells us. This signified the way into the holy of holies. Was made for us. The door. If you would have it. Was open. Jesus Christ is the door.

This door by the way.

This door that had been closed. Had been closed for maybe some. Four thousand years. From the time of Adam and Eve. Sin in the garden. Till this time when Christ died. Was buried and raised. And ascended until this time.

The door had been closed. But now Christ. The door of the sheep come. And the door is open. To whosoever will.

Believe in him.

And have eternal life.

Consider this.

The words of the psalmist. Lift up your heads.

Oh you gates.

This is psalm 24 verses 7 -10. Lift up your heads oh you gates. And be lifted up oh ancient doors. That the king of glory. May come in. Who is this king of glory? He is the lord. The Yahweh. He is Yahweh. Strong and mighty.

Yahweh mighty in battle. Lift up your heads oh gates. And lift them up oh ancient doors. That the king of glory. May come in. Who is this king of glory?

The psalmist asks.

And he answers again. It is the lord of hosts. He is the king of glory. So considering that. And considering again. The importance the significance. Of the ascension. The fact that the way has been made open.

Let me ask it this way. What doors. Can keep out the king of glory. According to this text.

None.

They open.

At his command. They open at his behest.

I would ask you this.

Can the door of your flesh. Keep out this king of glory.

No.

Can the door of the law. Keep out the king of glory.

No.

Shall the door of your heart. Keep the king of glory at bay. My answer to you is no. I will provide you another answer. Another word of testimony if you would have it. By Abraham Copper. In 1888 Abraham Copper.

Writes these words. He said what then are those ancient doors. They represent everything. That separates Jerusalem. From the ark. They are symbolic of everything. That constitutes a wall. Between the languishing heart of the wretched.

And of the holy glory of their God. He goes on to state. A door invites you to enter. But it is bolted. And prevents you from entering. It is an ancient door. That prevents you from entering. No matter how hard you knock.

And no matter how hard you kick. It remains seemingly impenetrable. So that you conclude. That it will never open.

Why?

Because they seem like eternal doors. That will keep you outside forever. But now Copper says. But now comes the Messiah. God has compassion for the wretched. And he sends you. A savior. But what will happen?

Will those doors, those ancient doors. Also resist him? That's a hypothetical question. That's a question that really doesn't need an answer. Because the answer is no. Not well. He said. Time and time again.

It is a door. There is a barrier. First there is the ancient door of the flesh. That holds you in bondage. And won't allow you to enter. That flesh that suffocates you. But Christ burst through all of this.

And he comes to you. In the flesh himself. He came in the flesh. The scriptures teach us. Born of a woman. Born under the law. In the likeness of sinful flesh. He suffered in sinful flesh. He kept the law of God perfectly.

He bore the wrath of God on the cross.

In the flesh.

And he accomplished this. And as Copper said. He is near you right now. I am one with you. Become like your brother.

But he said.

You have still not yet arrived. The word which is another name in the bible.

For the Messiah.

In John chapter 1 particularly. Becomes flesh with you. But in such a way. That the Messiah and you are both.

In a position of wretchedness.

Again that goes to the suffering of Christ. Christ is here. And came in weakness. But once he has reached that place. Once he has ascended back to the throne of God. He is mighty. He is great in majesty.

And he is empowered to rescue you. And bring you salvation. Why is the ascension important? Because Christ. Has entered into the holy places.

Not make with hands.

He has accomplished the work. Of salvation. Copper goes on to say this. To heaven. That is the place. Where weakness is glorified. That is where their strength and power. That is where your flesh goes.