Bristol Conference 1973-05 the Lord Jesus Christ — Stan Ford

The former treaties of Imado Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up after that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandment unto the apostle whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many intolerable things and seeking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

I mentioned him in your hymn book, the choice hymns of the faith, I believe that is. It's Alfred Mason's lovely hymn. And, it is because this evening we are continuing our studies in the first event, and we are dealing tonight with the day in which he was taken up, and I wanted to quote to you that third verse of the hymn.

The day reflects his image here, and I pray that this is our reading and consideration of the word of God tonight. You will remember during the past evening, for surely it beholds us just to go through very briefly what we have considered, you will remember that we were considering a little of this our blessed savior.

The Lowliness of Christ’s Birth and Life

We thought a little of the lowly, and I'm certain that every one of us wondered as we thought of he whose body prepared of the father, and produced of the spirit, and possessed of the son, was the body of a man.

When one ponders the lowliness in his heart, and one realizes that there he lay in the very danger of escape, and I often allow my imagination to run away with me. I often think of that day, and when I weigh an imagination to that table, and remember that there's no candle, there's no light there, yet that day is the very light of the world.

I remember there's no doctor, and no midwife there, yet that day is the very great physician. Who's there for the most old mate in the inn? They have no room or time for him, and yet it's the same as the very bread of heaven.

I marvel at the lowliness of his birth, but then we were thinking not only of the lowliness of his birth, but we were the lowliness of his life. We thought of this blessed Christ who moved amongst men, who could hear the exclamation of heaven, this is my beloved.

You know that I am wealthy. Oh brethren, sisters, may I say this to you, and I'm sure you would say it to me, but the more I open my Bible, and the more I read of the Lord Jesus, the more I realize that he was a wonderful, truly amazed at the lowliness of his life.

But then I also acknowledge that I am but a man. I also acknowledge that the Bible tells me that there were many things that Jesus did and said, that there was no room to record all that was said and done.

There are so many things I don't know about him. He was wonderful, there was not a crashing talk, there was not a saddened talk, there was not an action he did, but God the Father bore it all, and the Lord bore it all, and my knowledge so vast that I can't get there's a he said this is all my young friends and your life and you'll still find there's more to find out, and you'll still find that he's more wonderful than ever you thought he was.

Christ’s Loneliness, Death, and Exaltation

But if we've been thinking a little of the lowliness of his heart, the loveliness of his death, did not we spend one occasion to consider the loneliness of his death? We thought of this one who went on to Calvary.

While we may not have quoted the verses, I am sure we could have quoted the words of the 63rd of Isaiah, and I'm certain none of us would have been in any doubt that it speaks of the Savior I have called Jesus alone.

Oh please don't come to me afterwards and say that Mr. Preacher this is the 19th of Revelation, I know it is. He will tread the white path of the love of God in a vain attempt at harm and cannot allow.

He's treading it there because on Calvary's cross alone he met the requirement of God and all our needs. You know brethren sisters, the more I think of the loneliness of Christ, the more my heart is moved.

You see there is a loneliness of Christ. I know some things of the loneliness of life. I spend most of my time away from my wife and my children and my grandchildren, and I have never got used to being away from them.

There are times when I find myself desperately lonely, and if occasionally you see me wander off on my own you can rest assured of this, that I'm no longer in your lovely country as lovely as it is. I'm back home again and I'm thinking of the children and the grandchildren and the ones.

There's a loneliness. Many a time loneliness of life. Could there be a lonelier place than Calvary? Will you remember there's something deeper in loneliness than the loneliness of faith? There is a loneliness of faith.

To be surrounded by people of a blasphemy, yet find yourself so practicing. In 33 and a half years of Jesus' work in this angel, a day and a day he's always been talking to someone about the purpose of his being here.

On one occasion as we've seen he had actually to turn to a woman because he feared in this scene and hearing the disciple refusing for it, he had the pleasure of the disciple standing behind him. There was only one occasion in 33 and a half years that Jesus would speak intelligently to anyone as to the reason he came into this scene.

And on that occasion God had to lift his head to speak on the mount of transfiguration of the defeat that he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But if we have brought him to ease of the loneliness of his past, the loveliness of his life and the loneliness of his death, this evening, oh thank God, we're going to talk of the lost of his exaltation.

To remember that they may have placed him in a tomb, but up on that tomb he arose and blessedly died, he ascended into glory. May I read the words of our text tonight, until the day in which he was taken up.

Taken, may I do what I said? I don't know that I have, but may I do what I said I would do every evening. May I tell you what I'm going to tell you? We're going to look just for a moment first at the expediency of his ascent.

Do you remember the words of Jesus himself? It is expedient that I should go. We're going to look at the expediency of his ascent. Then we're going to look, if we may please for a moment or two, at the ease of his ascent.

See some of the things that happened ere he was received of his glory. Then we're going to look not only on the expediency of his ascent and the eve of his ascent, but we're going to look together if we may at the eyewitnesses of his ascent.

Then you will well understand if I suggest to you that we will also consider the extent of his ascent. Where has he gone? How far has he gone from this blessed saviour of ours? We know something of the depth to which he went.

The Expediency of Christ’s Ascension

First of all then, could we look together for a moment or two at the expediency of his ascent and the glorious words of the saviour himself in the 16th chapter of John and in verse 7. It is expedient that I should go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come.

May I repeat that? It is expedient that I should go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come. What is the plan of this? Any of time I spent we have wondered why it was, having risen from the dead, that Jesus Christ did not stay, did not stay right here in this scene at that moment.

And when we do, we come all of us to the same conclusion, don't we? And this is the conclusion we're bound to come to, that there is a sense that we're glad he didn't stay. Last evening our good friend Mr. MacLean showed you some of these slides of the incredible faith in Jerusalem.

I've been hearing today of some of you other folks that are going, I believe, this year or maybe next year. God knows what would have happened if Jesus had stayed in Jerusalem. Every folk, every faith, by every nation, hundreds upon thousands of people would be rushing to Jerusalem to see him.

And if you and I would suddenly say we're going to see him, you talk about a queue for dinner, we wouldn't be able to see him. Blessed be God he has ascended into glory, it was expedient that he should go for he has gone there to enter our presence away where we could visit him occasionally.

Blessed be his name to the end of the journey when he's glorified. I will be talking a little about the work of the Spirit before we finish, but could I just say this here and now, and I think it's most important, I must say it, you've had it said to you a hundred times, I must say it again.

When we speak of the Holy Spirit, as we have seen in the birth of the Lord Jesus, produced by the Spirit, we are talking of a person. Not of an influence, but a person. For if you do, you'll never be in trouble.

You do not receive a person in sickness and disease, do you? You receive a person in his entirety. I think it's important for us to remember that. I will be emphasizing that, maybe on another occasion.

But here is the expediency of the return of the Lord, at least the ascension of the Lord. But then let's look for a moment at the ease of his ascension. The twenty-fourth chapter of Luke comes to its close with words like these.

The Place and Blessing of Christ’s Ascension

Have you ever wondered why ever he led them as far as Bethlehem? I can think of a least of the places he could have led them to. Oh, tell me, why did not this flesh Christ lead them as far as Bethlehem?

The chanting angels have told of his birth. He lead them as far as Mount Cable. For we've been teaching already, as we have taught indeed, of his transfiguration, that it was there at Mount Cable that Celestial in homage before him.

He didn't lead them as far as Calvin, for had not the women lost in the open grave, he was gone and all fleshed forever. Why didn't he lead them to the temple court? The Chicago Gloria were in this place.

No, it was not to Bethlehem, or to Calvary, or to Mount Cable. It was not to the temple court that he led them, but he led them out as far as Bethlehem. Oh, isn't that wonderful? Don't you feel you ought to just praise God?

For my youngest friend knows this, that Bethlehem was the place of his deepest sorrow. There it will be the place of his greatest joy, the place of his deepest sorrow. It is only quite according to the gospel that Jesus wept.

It was the sorrow that came upon him that the tears ran down his face. Once he wept over one man, once he wept over a pitied man. Once he wept over a dead man, once he wept over a living man. But on the both occasions that in the gospels it's recorded that Jesus wept, he was at Bethlehem.

He wept with Stephanie over the grave of Lazarus. He wept at Zephaniah's in the distance before the whole cities of Jerusalem, and cried, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem! On another occasion in Holy Writ, where it was told that Jesus wept, the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews says, with strong, very little doubt that he's speaking of death, and where was death, Stephanie?

It wasn't at Jerusalem. It was hard for Stephanie to see the little Stephanie, and he leads them out to the scene of his greatest sorrow, that one day will be the scene of his greatest joy. For hallelujah, as we saw this morning, he's coming back again, having taught his own to be with him.

After that time, when indeed there will be the judgment seat of Christ, the very supper of the Lamb, and the presentation of the Father, hallelujah, he's coming back again, and he's coming in his pink shawl, clasped upon the mantle of it, and Jerusalem in that day shall be a place which is God's.

He leads them out to a place of sorrow. They're going to know sorrow, aren't they? They're going to find it, and he leads them to the place that will tell his greatest joy, for out of his sorrow comes our supper.

He leads them as far as Bethany, and he lifts up his hands. I like that, don't you? There are so many lovely hymns on it, but how many times has made the outbrother unheeded, for they're crossing through heaven's path.

Somewhere in the shadows, you'll find him. He's the only one in the shadows. You will find him. You know him by the nail prints in his hand. He lets them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands.

Wonderful hands. Wonderful heart. Broken, faulty. He leads them, and he lifts up his hands, and I wonder what those disciples thought seeing the plan ever made that would be in glory, as they looked at those scars in his hands.

No wonder he could bless them. No wonder. A refreshing stream has been made, full at guilty rate, to pension Pisces paid. Do you remember the tale of time? The tale of time when the eighth father of Jacob was going to blast Jacob's hand.

Do you remember what happened? I dare to get this to you. Just as in that day, Andrew, in a fit of blast, in a fit of blast, to bless you, and to bless you, if he ever wishes to do that, he lifted up his hands and he blessed them.

Oh, here was the very eve of his ascension, and we pray for this very day, do we not, that just as he blessed him where he went to glory, so the word of God comes in all, in all, and as he went, so he coming.

He went in blessing, and hallelujah, he's coming back again in blessing. But if we have thought a little.

Of the expediency of his ascension, and we have thought a little of the.

Eve of his ascension, I wonder if we could say just a little about the eyewitnesses of his ascension. He ascended into glory, and in the eleventh verse of the first chapter of Acts, if we go down that chapter, we read these words, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven. You will notice, of course, in verse 10, that we are told that there were found there two names in both of powers.

The Twofold Witness to Christ’s Ascension

I think this is rather important to know. You see, I learned long ago, and I'm sure you did, I learned long ago that God does what he asks us to do. Could I repeat that? God does what he asks us to do.

Do you remember in the Old Testament, God gave the great statement and law concerning evidence. He told us that we must never testify of one man. The testimony of one man. It is in the mouth of two or three witnesses that every word shall be established.

God does not tell us that we must not accept the words of one man, but only the words of two, unless he himself gives two witnesses to every divine truth that's essential for our salvation. And never you forget that.

If you forget that, you can run into hell. It is because of this, these people that call themselves latter-day saints have come with a baptism of the dead, and they have taken one or two of her, and they've built what they call a doctrine upon it.

But it is in the mouth of two. He wants you and I to accept that Jesus Christ is his son, so he gives two witnesses at the baptism of Christ, the third day of the Sabbath, and he himself, as for the loyalty of Christ, indeed, as to the rejection in Christ, as other lands of transfiguration as we've talked already, there appear two, Moses and Elias, and they face up at the feet that he should have come to Jerusalem.

Here is the twofold witness as to his resurrection. Remember yesterday we were thinking how the angel came from here, one pat on the front and the other on the head, when Jesus was laid. And so we have the twofold witness as to his royalty, the twofold witness as to his redemption, the twofold witness as to his resurrection.

But here, bless God, the twofold witness says when Jesus shall go come in like man. Oh, we have not followed cunningly devised angels. Here what God requires of us he himself has done and has given us the twofold witness.

I don't know who these two men were to you, or I could allow my imagination to run away with me. By the way, they weren't angels, were they? I mean, let's go, doesn't it? I mean, I don't know about your Bible, but my Bible says this, that there stood two men stood by in white apparel, two men.

And I assure you the word men there is men. Is men? I don't think they were angels. I once heard a dear brother, and I must put it that way, because if I didn't you'd come to me afterwards and ask me for charity at first.

But I can't give it, I'm repeating what someone else said. But I once heard someone say that these two men were the two men that appeared with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses and Elias.

The dead in Christ shall rise first. And Elias? The dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive shall remain. And to the coming of the Lord shall be quartered, not case dead. No, I don't know if that's right.

I only know that my party glanced, glanced, but there were two messengers that came from God. And they dared to say to the men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up? There's nothing to do. This Jesus is coming down today.

There's no need for thine heart to be broken. There's no need indeed for you to be cast down. This Jesus shall come again in, in like, in like manner. Oh, I bless God for this. For those who were the eyewitnesses.

Of ascension, were those indeed.

Who in this scene have walked with him, these men of Galilee. Here were some of his disciples. Here were some who, for fear of the Jews, had vaulted and barred the door of a room. And yet they have seen the Christ as he stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you.

They have come to receive him. Now they've seen him ascend into heaven. And there are ways that it should touch your life and my life today, brethren.

And sisters. But there's the extent of his ascension.

Christ’s Exalted Position and High Priesthood

As I come to a close, may I say this to you, that if you were to ask me how high Christ has ascended, put the scripture to you and leave it at that, as the words of Hebrews 7 and 26, he has made higher.

If you ask me how high, how far he has gone, then I can quote to you the words of Ephesians 1 and 21, and I can dare say to you that God is far above. He has ascended into heaven. And because he has ascended into heaven, we can praise God the day that he's available for us.

A little of the high truth of the Christ. It's a wonderful fact that Jesus Christ is a high Christ. I've been prepared to read out something of the truth of God.

In this matter. The miracles were.

Shown by just passing one or two simple observations about the high priesthood of Christ. He can say that he is a high priest. He can say that he is a high priest forever after the order of Matthew the next.

Remember that. Neither beginning of day nor end of day. Isn't it wonderful to know that Jesus Christ has ascended into heaven and is a high priest after the order of Matthew the next. He's always there.

And if that's all the Bible said of the high priesthood of Christ, that he's not only a high priest after the order of Matthew the next. Are you listening? This is the most important thing I've said tonight.

He is not only a high priest after the order of Matthew the next, but he's a high priest.

After the after of anywhere else. You see, Matthew the next has never been born in a concentration camp.

Matthew the next has never known what it meant to live smack-ass and kicked and sworn-ass and beaten. Matthew the next never knew what it meant with ears running down his face to think for the brand and make it grow hard to heaven.

But Aaron did. Aaron had been born in a concentration camp in Egypt. But the taskmaster had got his back and dashed to the ark as his brother started out to be initially and time after the other. And again and again and again in the pain and suffering of hundreds of men and women who seek the first God.

After the order of Matthew the next that he's after the Adam and Eve. ... ... ... ...

He's available for us to preach in this world, but he has been taught to be to the right hand of God. He has made a move upon the veil of hell, and he has done it in his name.