Seated in the Heavenlies, Walking #1 — Leonard Ravenhill

Raised and Seated with Christ

And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world. According to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also.

We all had our conversation in the past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others. But God, two greatest words in the Bible, but God, God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace he saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

I suppose there are times when the scripture seizes us like somebody is springing out of an ambush. We don't panic we're not periled by it but we're startled we're amazed. And this scripture seemed to do that to me this week.

I think it's about the most profound thing that Paul has ever written. Let me read it to you this way. He has quickened us together he has raised us together and he's made us sit together and if you want more than that you won't get it anyhow.

Because that's a sum total of redemption that explains all the work that Jesus Christ came to do. The scripture says in essence that Christ hath appeared. We know that 300 million letters will be written tomorrow in America alone and if they're written by Jews or Greeks or barbarians they'll they'll sign the birthday of Jesus they'll sign 1976.

The world's older than that. I feel nearly as old as that today but the world's older than 1976 and so the world was divided time was divided by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and so the scripture says he hath appeared.

It says he doth appear in heaven for us and he will yet appear. You hear over and over and over again on the radio TV and elsewhere you know Jesus may come today. Jesus is coming. He's coming for us. He's coming for us.

Get all goose pimples about it. He's coming for us gonna get us out of our tribulation and our distresses and our problems. He's gonna rapture us all away boy it's gonna be great. He's coming for us. I never thought of it like this.

Nobody else has ever told me that he took us with him because this scripture says he's seated in heaven and we're seated with him. So the father tells he's coming for us a little bit late. He's already taken us up there.

The Believer’s Heavenly Seat

Now if I were to put a title on this on this scripture today I think one title for it would be this seated with him. And then the other rather mischievous title would be this. Have you taken your seats.

Hmm. This is what it says. I didn't make it up in case you think I did I didn't make it up. It says that Jesus Christ by his death has raised us together and made us sit together with him in heavenly places.

Now there's nothing greater than that. You know Paul has a tremendous love for his children. There's a hymn that says can the mother's tender care cease to warn the child she bear. Yes she may forgetful be.

But I will remember thee. And that's based on Isaiah. That's not the guesswork. That's what Isaiah says. A mother can forget a sucking child. Often they abandon their children but God never never never forgets it.

We think he does. You can't see the Sun doesn't mean the Sun isn't there. Just means there's a lot of cloud in between. They used to tell the story in England of a little boy living down a back alley and poor kid and many toys.

So one day he made a kite for himself. The wind was blowing pretty good and and the end it went over the rooftops and and he let this string out. You know he let it go out and he kept pulling and there it was pulling.

And a man came down the street. Very learned man said what are you doing. Flying my kite. Flying your kite flying your kite. Hmm I can't see it see it he said. I can't Mr. But I can feel it. And there are times when I can't see him.

He seems further off some days than others. But I'll tell you what I can feel him. And I'd rather feel him. And I can't see him and see him and not feel him. I think if you have to come to that so it doesn't have to come to that.

Paul’s Letter to the Saints and the Heavenly Places

It seems to me that the Apostle here takes a bushel basket of jewels and he bangs them all at the feet of these wonderful people. He's so thrilled with them. If you're going to the first chapter let me tell you some things he says in the first chapter.

In the first verse he says this that Paul is the Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. And he's writing to the Saints which are at Ephesus and all the faithful people in Seguin. That's what he says.

Very small print. You may not see. But my my I have trifocals. I can see it because that's what it implies says to the faithful Saints. Now if you're not faithful well cheer up and get straightened out with the Lord.

And you'll be included in the text before we finish. But this is what he says. He's writing not merely to those people at Ephesus as though they're getting a slice out of the pie that nobody else can enjoy as though he's giving them some private revelation.

They can say you know the Apostle gave it to us needs for nobody else he says forget it. This is something to the whole body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice what he finishes verse 3 with. He talks about heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

And you know he talks about the heavenly places. Because you see we're also earthbound. I'm getting more and more conscious that we as people we interpret the message of Jesus Christ on the earth level.

It's all subjective. You know what he's come to do for us redeem us. Do this. I don't believe. That's God's purpose at all. I'll prove that to you later. Benefit. Now will they notice what he says in verse 7 in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.

I like that. I've always wanted to be rich. Hmm. And at last I've made it. I'm rich in his grace. And in the second chapter verse 7 he goes better than that. You know he says there. But in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace.

My he's getting more extravagant the riches of his grace. The exceeding riches of his grace. And it goes on and and five times he mentions in this in this one institution if you had a good one or physically maybe you don't have a good constitution.

If you had a good one really you'd choose this attitude. If he could physically you'd choose this attitude. If he could have a you'd choose this attitude. If he could have a rich IQ by choice we'd all be geniuses.

Now it's not sensible to say that all men are born equal. They're not. But I'll tell you what if you're poor spiritually. You're poor because you want to be. You're not poor because you'll have to be.

The possibilities of grace are as great to you. If you have any understanding at all at 12 or 13 or 14 years of age the door is open and God says go explore it. And I said to you repeatedly no man that ever lived.

And you can take some of these spiritual giants like that. That's greatest evangelist. I don't know one of the greatest evangelists America ever had was of course mr. Finney a brilliant lawyer. If there was one more powerful it was a young man by the name of tenant who was converted during the days of George Whitefield.

George came like this country to a cyclone. Did you hear Billy Graham on the 4th of July. He was real good. He spoke about England about 80 of the time. Hmm. But he spoke about George Whitfield a young man of 22 years of age that when there were no good roads and there were no buses and no ways of getting there and the population of Boston was only 12 ,000 and he drew 14 ,000 people a night to hear him.

And sometimes in snow. But one day the spark of fire you know it's amazing to digress a moment if you light a candle you could possibly light 10 ,000 candles from that one candle and not diminish its light.

And that's exactly what George Whitfield did. A young man 22 23 24 he came back a number of times to this country and then began to light their candle at the light he was carrying. And one was a young man by the name of Gilbert tenant.

I'm not sure if Gilbert was the father but there were three tenants the father and two sons. They became about the mightiest Trinity of men this country has ever had. They blazed with holy fire. You know why they said we saw the riches that there are in Jesus Christ.

The Riches of Grace and the Believer’s Inheritance

One of our most embarrassing moments in eternity will be when God has tried us and judged us and given us our rewards and our graduation diplomas. If we get any. And he's going to say look here you see this room this is full of all the riches there were in Jesus Christ.

I normally gave him to rescue you from hell. I gave you Jesus Christ that with him you may freely have all things. That's what he says. All things are yours and you Christ. And Christ is God as I prayed earlier today.

God keeps bringing this to me. Stir up the gift of God that's in you. You say Lord don't let me be so lazy. Well get out of your lousy laziness. People say you know I believe the promises of God. So do I.

But I'll tell you what if you lay in bed in the morning and caught that scripture that says open my mouth wide and I will fill it. Gabriel won't bring you any cereal. You see you can take texts out of context and they become a pretext.

But remember this that this is your inheritance and mine. He's given us with Jesus Christ. There's nothing that Jesus can do now to redeem the world. He did it all. Jesus paid it all he finished it all he said it all he did it all.

But the lazy church hasn't wakened up to its potential yet in Jesus Christ. So five times he talks about riches. Look in verse 9 of this first chapter having made known known to us the mystery of his will.

He talks about the mystery six times. Now a mystery is not something that cannot be known. A mystery to me is something that can be known only by revelation. And I want to tell you something. God doesn't shout revelation from the housetop.

One of the most amazing things in the life of any man that God raised up I think was in the life of Paul a man to me of a colossal intellect a gentleman of scholarly pedigree and everything that was going for him.

And then God took him and very kindly dumped him back in the in the wilderness for about three years now. Now when he talks about here as he did in the second verse and I say it's mentioned four times in this epistle he talks about the heavenlies.

It says in heavenly places. It really is in the heavenlies. Do you remember. He says he was caught up into the third heaven. Well the first heaven is where the clouds are. We don't have them often in this country but I mean in Texas but anyhow in other parts they do and they're nice and shady.

But that's where the clouds are the first. The second heaven is that wonderful carpet of jewels the stars the planets the Sun the moon. That's the second. The third heaven is the is the habitation of God.

You see God's never behind anybody. Men say do you know the first man to ride in a submarine. Yes Jonah think God's ever behind anybody. He was the first man to ride in a submarine. You know the first man that went up into the heavenlies.

Do you remember the date in America friend you're 2 ,000 years behind. But a few fellows went up. One man went up and found it so nice. He didn't come back Elijah and one or two others. But this man Moses this man went up.

Moses went up didn't come back. This amazing man the Apostle he says I was caught up into the third heaven. Do you know what God did? He taped my mouth. You see if I began to tell you all the amazing things I saw in that revelation you might want to go there just to get what there is.

And God says you're going to go there by faith not by all the stories that this amazing man can tell. And he said he he shut me up. He he sealed my mouth as I said Lord the Lord would never put that incumbents on a woman.

But he did it on him all right. And then all the other things in this this amazing book they'll take too much time. Let me run through this second chapter. Will you a minute you have he quickened to a dead in trespasses and in sins.

Now look what it says in verse 2 if you want to make a note of this it's you can work on it after. In verse 2 he says knowing in time past. He's talking about our past. And then he says in verse 4 but God who is rich in mercy for me.

He says at the end of verse 3 that we have desires of the flesh and of the mind. And we were by nature the children of wrath. I'm beginning to think as Christians. We've lost our sense of awe. We've lost our sense of awe.

Do you have to come to church to get stood up and sing. How great thou art. Have you ever sit by yourself and survey the majesty of God. The psalm he says the heavens declare the glory of God in the firmament.

Short his handiwork day and today of utterance speech of night unto night. Short knowledge there is no there is no. What sphere or language where their voice is not heard. That their cry has gone to the ends of the earth.

God has testified of his greatness even through the very firmament. Through the stars ascend the moon. How majestic he is. But isn't it awesome to look at that bunch that will be on TV in a few days. That cannibal feast they're going to have in Kansas.

Political cannibals eating each other and think that almost every man from the president down to the last man is lost calmly may go with his millions. Some little aspiring politician made there. But outside of Jesus Christ they're lost.

They're not just in bad shape. They're doomed. They're not just without knowledge. They're without God. I saw a man walking on the street feeling his way. Poor man poor man. He's lost his sight. Does he deserve my compassion.

Yes. Is he the greatest tragedy. No. We took our friends to the airport the other day and Martha wanted to go to a shop. And as as I waited for her in the mall there was a boy a man with a with a boy who was obviously deranged.

He did the most amazing things. And the father held on to him like a chain. And the boy broke loose and almost dove dived into that one of those water displays. And the father got him and held on to him.

Poor little guy. Oh a sweet little lovely cute lovely hair but deranged who deserves my compassion the most. The blind man. The deranged child. The man that well he's a man without a country. The man whose material empire has collapsed.

No no no they need it. But maybe the man who needs me most is a man who's the best-dressed man. And the best-dressed woman and the best intellectual around. Because they've got everything of God. And it's of everything of God of nothing.

So at the end of this verse he shows us our peril. We were by nature the children of wrath even as others. And in verse 4 he shows us our pardon. Then he shows of course the work of redemption. And then he comes down to verse 10 we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

That's our production. In verse 12 he shows us our poverty that we will out hope. And we're without God in the world. In verse 14 he says he is our peace. So there you've got a simple P. There he is our peace.

In verse 18 he shows us through him we have access by one spirit unto the father. That's our privilege. In verse 19 he says we're no longer strangers and fathers but fellow citizens. You know little phrases.

Catch on. Somebody recently said you know I'm a tramp for the Lord. Well be a bum if you want. I'm not. I'm a pilgrim. A tramp doesn't know where he's going. He's got no boss. He's got no laws. He's bumming it down the road anywhere anytime anyhow.

That's all. But we're not bums. We're pilgrims. We're marching to Zion the beautiful city of God. We're going to go to a city that will make like the hanging gardens of Babylon look like the back streets of Brooklyn.

We're going to a glory and an ecstasy that if you put all the orchestras in the world together and all the banquets and all the kings have ever had they look like the dishes in the kitchen sink. And you know what.

I got a reserved seat. You don't look as though you have but I have hallelujah. I got mine. Mother's got her because it says in first Peter doesn't it. There's a place reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God.

And when you get under the weather and the world topples in just push the curtains on one side. You know that's what John did in the Revelation. He says in chapter four I saw a door in heaven. You know sometimes it's good to go through that door.

You go squinting through other doors some of you. So why not go squinting through that door and just look up the aisle there and there you'll see my name written. Nice big letters reserved for Leonard Ravenhill a prince of the house of God.

There's a bigger seat cos Herb needs a bigger one. There's a big seat there and it has Herb's name on it. A little tiny one. There has Bobby's name on it's alright. We're gonna. There's a place reserved in heaven for you.

Isn't that wonderful. All because Jesus was wounded for me. Now I can remember as a boy if we went late to church one night there was a man David Matthews. He'd come out of the Welsh revival in 1904. He was the first man I heard sing wounded for me.

And he sang it with his rich Welsh voice wounded for me wounded for me there on the cross. He was wounded for me. Done my transgressions and now I am free. All because Jesus was wounded for me. Then he sang for me.

And then he sang risen for me. And then he let it all go. And he says risen for me man alive. I almost shouted hallelujah. I was only about 10 years of age but I got the wavelength. And that's all that's been talked about in this amazing chapter.

Ephesus, Revelation, and the Danger of Losing Spiritual Life

All right. This letter to the Ephesians it's the the church at Ephesus. I never thought of this till this week was about the most favored church that we ever had in the world. You know why. Because they had two epistles written to them.

Well you say so are the Corinthians first and second Corinthians and Peter first and second Peter. And well wait a minute the difference it with the church at Ephesus is this. They had two epistles written by two different men.

The Apostle Paul wrote this epistle to the Ephesians. And then you remember that the seven letters and one of the letters was written by John. Now to whom much is given much shall be demanded. Let God fill this house every day with his glory and majesty.

If he doesn't I don't want to come. But if he does we'd be more responsible than the folk up the street that don't get that blessing and that revelation and that quickening and that urging by the Spirit of God.

They had Paul the Apostle for a pastor that must have been something. He had been preceded by a brilliant auditor by the name of Apollos. He was trained in the University of Alexandria. Smart guy came with his BAD and DD.

I don't know what that means double dip or something. But anyhow he came along with his with it with his credentials. And he stirred them mightily. So they had two epistles written to them. They had at least two Apostles.

The Apostle Paul and the Apostle John. And they have this brilliant wonderful man by the name of Apollos an auditor. He was mighty in the Scriptures man. He stirred your flesh he moved your heart. And yet he only knew John's baptism.

I ask you a revelant in God's name. What would he have said if he'd been baptized with the Holy Ghost. Then he just about burned the church down and stirred all the house. And he only knew half the story.

Not wonderful. We know it all and look how dumb we are. But anyhow the thing is he was mighty in the Scriptures. Now this was some city. It was a favored city because it was the chief city in Asia Minor in the days of the Apostle.

It was not only a capital city but it was a seaport. It isn't a seaport anymore. The city's way up the road a couple of miles. Did they move it. No. No no. But you see when spiritual life ebbs everything ebbs.

Did not happen. The city began to die die die. And the river filled up with silt. And now there is no river there. To whom much is given. Much privilege. They had who. They had two epistles written to them.

Mm-hmm. They had Paul as a pastor. Yes. They had John as a pastor. A teacher. Yes. They had Apollos. Yes. And what happened. God removed their candlestick. People go to Israel. Everybody's flying to Israel.

Not many going to Calvary. But there's a lot going to Israel. Do you see anybody saying where we're taking a pilgrimage from our church to see the seven churches. I don't see anybody saying that they stand as a permanent rebuke to those who have received so much revelation.

Paul’s Ministry, Apollos, and the Power of the Spirit

Now Paul preached. What was it. One great man said the three things you would like to have seen in history. I forget what they were. One I think the hanging gardens of Babylon to Caesar. When he came down the Appian Way with his captives chained to the wheels of his chariot.

And three he said I'd like to have heard the Apostle Paul preach. Man I would if I had to walk 500 miles. I don't walk 500 miles to hear Paul preach. And if I could I'd like to have gotten a backroom somewhere and heard him pray.

That must have been something. Oh man this. This man didn't have a heart. He just had a volcano inside of him. He didn't have natural genius. Man he had that wisdom that coming from above he puts his seven league boots on as Kipling would say.

And he strides over Asia Minor. Think of those three journeys he established this church. I think on the third one just take a map and consider his journey. Consider the mileage without a car without planes rotten old boats that he went on.

Nothing. But there he was. Why he said this one thing I do. He had a zeal. He had a passion. He had a fire. They tried to whip it out of him. You may as well try and get the return ticket on the Titanic.

Whip it out of him. They starved him. You can't starve it out of him. They threaten. You can't threaten it out of him. Put him in a prison. You can't scare him. And when he goes into this city he did what he always did.

He got into trouble. The great thing when the church is in trouble he had gone for me. The real introduction is the 18th chapter to skip over it quickly. The 18th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Paul had taken with him a wonderful couple.

Everybody talks about Ananias and Sapphira. Not many people talk about Priscilla and Aquila. Funny names but lovely people. Some people have lovely names. They're funny people. But these were well just lovely people with funny names.

And of course they understood they were on the wavelength of the Apostle. Hey that must have been something to travel with him. You know I get letters from guys who say my wife and I. One fellow said not long ago my wife and I talked till 3 o 'clock this morning.

We're willing to sell the house. She'll go back with her mother if I can travel with you for a year. If I took all those guys I'd need a 60-seater bus. And I'm afraid it all be disappointed. But not so with Paul Priscilla and Aquila going all the way.

They went on what I don't know back of a mule walking fording rivers. And they kept up with the old Apostle. And they knew exactly they got indoctrinated. And when Paul was out of town and this brilliant young preacher preached all they said you know he's wonderful.

I think he must have felt a bit like Moody when he'd had a marvelous time one morning and a little lady came up to him afterwards and said you know mr. Moody you preach well and I don't know what you'd do if you got the Holy Ghost.

What did you say. I say you you preach very well but you just don't have the Holy Ghost. Do you. He was pretty mad. It's like somebody coming to say you're a nice man. You run business but you've no sense.

You're all very flattering. You see it got to him if I remember right. It was Jonathan Goforth. It was either Jonathan Goforth or praying Hyde. I think it was Goforth who went into the into the stateroom after he'd waved goodbye and and there was a note on his desk.

He opened it and and somebody had sent a note my dear brother we love you you you've a lot of promise. We're just praying you'll get filled with the Holy Ghost. Isn't that nice. Some old foggiest thing at home and me a young man gonna turn the world upside down.

They're telling me how to do it. But you know the more he tried to get away from it it's like trying to run from your shadow. You just somehow you can't do it. And it got to him. And before he got off that boat he was filled with the Holy Ghost.

Now Priscilla and Luquilla were not afraid to go to the big brilliant preacher. Guess they took him home to dinner gave him a good meal and talked with him. You know. And said you know we do you understand this business.

Really. Do you understand the way of God. And then Paul took up the the issue a bit later in the 19th chapter. And he said did you. Did you receive the Holy Ghost. When you believe. He says since in the authorized.

But that's not really in the in the original. Did you receive the Holy Ghost when you. We didn't hear about the Holy Spirit. We heard about John's baptism. We heard about forgiveness and so on. They go.

Oh yes. They had a riot the old vagabond Jews there and they stirred up the opposition. I think these people must have sat down and said hey just a minute pastor. Just just a minute. Mm-hmm. That Paul was hard to listen to.

But just let me get my breath in it. Would you read that first part of the second chapter. Again he raises up together. And we're seated together and we're living together. Would you read that. You see the background in the city where they live was this.

It was not great merely a great commercial city. It was a great religious city. If you were taught you may not be in these days. I don't know. But in the old days we're supposed to learn what the seven wonders of the world were.

I can't remember them all myself. One was the hanging gardens of Babylon. The other was that mighty statue outside of the harbor at Alexandria. And one of course was the temple of Diana or Diana at Ephesus.

To the Greeks she was Artemis. To the Romans Diana. She was a god or a goddess. She was a goddess of the moon. She was a goddess of all the plants of the earth. She's the one who gave special benedictions to expectant mothers.

She was a multi-breasted goddess. And if you went to the sanctuary there were areas where people sat. There were distinctions. And the goddess herself was up there exalted in a majesty. And there were people silversmiths who made little images and sold them like souvenirs.

And they got exceedingly rich because they were all made of silver. And when Paul came in he smashed their idolatry. When Paul came in he broke up the demon power. That was there. You see sometimes we think we need a multitude to do it.

God invested this man the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road. He said he revealed himself to me. But but when I went in the wilderness he revealed himself in me. That's why he says triumphantly in Galatians 2 20 I don't live.

I can take you to the place where I died. You see regeneration is a birth. Sanctification is a death. The man he's talking about here is dead in trespasses and sins. And when he's dead in sin he's dead to God.

And when he's alive to God he's dead to sin. Sin has no dominion over him. Sin has no power over him. Sin has no attraction. He's alive to God. Have you noticed some flowers in your garden. Don't open.

If the Sun doesn't come out sleep all day. I think we all should heavy weather. So that little flower keeps closed up. Oh must have died. Next morning the Sun goes out. It comes right. It's a life to the Sun.

It won't respond to anything but the Sun. And you can push the believer and coax the believer. He says listen unless God knows. I don't know I'm alive to God. I don't respond to the world. I don't respond to all these charms.

I don't respond to financial success. I don't respond to the idolatry of the world. I don't respond to the customs of the world. He says we were subject. He says in this second chapter here in time past he walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air.

If you talk to somebody about being saved the fellow says listen. I'm gonna run my own life. Well I've got news for you. If you're not saved you don't run your own life. Satan runs it. You say I'm demon possessed.

I did not say that. I don't believe. Everybody has to be demon possessed for Satan to run their lives. They're in the custom of this world are in the habits of this world. They're in the bondage of this world.

They dress by the style of the world. They talk the language of the world. Their aspirations are the aspirations of the world. But Paul remembered when with all his brilliance and culture of the tribe of Benjamin he got everything going for him.

I don't think I ever seen Isaac Watts his lovely him my richest gain. I count that loss. But what I think of the Apostle Paul. But he not only sang it he did it. He said what things were gained to me.

I counted them. But done that I might win Christ and be found in him not having any righteousness of my own. He come alive in God all right. We better get into this chapter a little here. I say he talks about riches.

What. Five times is it. Or four times. Four times he talks about heavenly places. Five times he talks about riches. Six times he talks about mysteries. Eight times he says to them that you ought to walk walk walk walk.

Oh it's exciting to run. It's delightful to mount up with wings as eagles. But walking suggests the monotony the everyday walk that we have to have on our pilgrim journey. And that is not too easy and too thrilling.

Mercy, Love, Grace, and the New Life

The desires of the flesh and of the mind he says in verse 3. And we were by nature the children of wrath even as others. But God my my my my my. Those are wonderful words aren't they. But God the devil thought he got you all tied up.

He got a place reserved in hell. But God Satan says everything's going well. I'm gonna damn this race and this people. And suddenly there's a spark of revival. But God comes in. But God who is rich in mercy.

You know the greatest words in our vocabulary are all bunched in together. We kind of miss them he says. But God who is is rich in mercy. Do you know what mercy is. Well I'll tell you what the Lord told me the other morning.

It was dark and I was thinking about you all. You're all snoring. But it doesn't matter. I was praying for you. And the Lord just said to me this. You know what love is. You know mercy is. It's. It's love in action.

Mercy is love in action. It's mercy doing something. It's mercy demonstrating. You remember when that that great brilliant poet hymn writer for the Jewish Church David in Psalm 51. Oh he was in the mess.

He was blessed. You know I was blessed because he couldn't sleep. You know I was blessed because every time he heard a baby cry he remembered the child he fathered. You know what. Every time he saw a soldier he remembered the soldier that he put to death in order to cover up his sin.