What Has Christ Been Doing Since the Ascension?

Sovereign Grace Family Church

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I want to invite you to take out your Bibles and turn with me this morning to Romans chapter 8 and Find yourself or find your place rather at verse 28

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Romans chapter 8 verse 28 Now again, I do not have amplification this morning so I'm going to be raising my voice as much as possible so that everyone may hear and Hopefully maybe even our neighbors across the street will hear the word of the

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Lord this morning And the question that we are going to ask this morning as we celebrate the resurrection of the

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Lord Jesus Christ is this What has Christ been doing? for the past 2 ,000 years

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What has Christ been doing? since the Ascension So let's read together this text it begins in verse 28

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It says and we know That for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose for those whom he foreknew

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He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers

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And those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also

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Justified and those whom he justified he also glorified What shall we say then to these things if God is for us who can be against us?

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He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously?

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Give us all things Who shall bring a charge against God's elect it is

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God who justifies? Who is to condemn Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised?

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Who is at the right hand of God who indeed is? interceding for us

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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written?

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For your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered

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No, and all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I am sure that neither death nor life

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Nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth

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Nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our

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Lord Let us pray our father in our

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God. We come to you in Jesus name And we thank you for this beautiful resurrection morning

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Where we celebrate the reality that two thousand years ago our Lord Jesus Christ died on a

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Roman cross Was buried in a borrowed tomb and rose victoriously on the third day to demonstrate that everything that he had said was true and Vindicate our faith the

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Apostle Paul tells us if Christ has not been raised and we have all men are most to be pitied But in fact, he has been raised and so Lord this morning we celebrate that fact

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We celebrate the truth of the resurrection and the truth of what Christ has been doing on our behalf

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Since the resurrection we thank you. We praise you and we give you all glory and honor in Jesus name

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Amen on the morning of the resurrection

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When the women came to the tomb they did not expect to find the stone had been rolled away

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They did not expect To run into angels who would tell them that he is not here, but he is risen they did not expect to see

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Jesus when they ran back to tell the disciples and Certainly his disciples did not expect that he would be in the room with them later that day

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Easter Sunday Resurrection Sunday is a celebration of the promises of Christ being fulfilled

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He promised that if you tear down this temple I will raise it up again in three days and the temple he was referring to was his body

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They tore down the temple of his body and in three days later. He rose again

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Then he spent time on earth with his disciples. He ministered to them and 40 days later

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After having ministered with his disciples Encouraging them and having been seen by over 500 people alive.

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He ascended into heaven now When Christ ascended into heaven

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The Bible says that he sat at the right hand of God We call that the session of Christ Where most of us are familiar crucifixion resurrection ascension

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But the the word that most of us probably are not familiar with is the session

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Because the word session means to be seated When we talk about Congress being in session

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That means they're seated to do the job that they have been elected to do

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Well when Jesus ascended into heaven He entered into his session where he sat at the right hand of God To do a work on our behalf and my question to you this morning is what is that work?

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What has Christ been doing on our behalf for the last 2 ,000 years? Was it not enough that he came and lived a perfect life?

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Was it not enough that he died a substitutionary death was it not enough that he rose from the grave

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Victoriously and triumphantly on the third day. Yes, we could say all of those things were enough and yet he did not stop he continued to work on our behalf and he continues to work to this very day and what we call the intercession of Christ So we have the crucifixion the resurrection the ascension and the session and now the ongoing perpetual intercession of the

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Lord Jesus Christ He continues to stand before the father as our advocate

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He continues to hold up our prayers before the father. And in fact, he prays for us

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When we think of what Jesus did on the cross Jesus made an atonement for us an

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Atonement means that there was separation between us and God the Bible says we were at enmity with God.

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That means we were God's enemies When Jesus died on the cross God took the punishment and he placed it on Christ and Christ Drank it all the way down to the last drop the cup that he referred to when he says take this cup for me was the cup of wrath and Jesus drank the cup of wrath so that we no longer experience the wrath of God But instead we receive the benevolent mercy of God because of the work of Jesus Christ That's called the atonement atonement means to bring two people back together who were separated

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God has made an atonement through Jesus Christ Whereby we now have a relationship with God that we could not have without Christ.

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We could not have without the atonement the intercession of Christ is the ongoing reminder and if you will the ongoing application of that atonement

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In fact, I want to give you a quote from a man named William Singhamton, he said this he said that The intercession of Christ to the atonement can be compared to the providence of God with creation

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God only had to create one time But since he created he continues to work through providence on that which he created

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He continues to bring about the work that he intended in creation through his providence

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Well Christ did a one -time work of atonement It doesn't have to be repeated The Bible says he saves to the uttermost those who draw nigh unto

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God through him The Bible says that his atonement only need be applied one time, but it is held up to the father perpetually continuously through intercession on our behalf so that we can know that his atonement still applies for us today as as as Baptists We tend to focus a lot on being saved as a one -time event and It is true that our salvation was a one -time event

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Christ died on the cross once his atoning His atoning blood was shed once and the wrath of God was satisfied once.

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Yes, that is true But the blood that he applied to us

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Continuously is presented to the father on our behalf through the intercession of Christ Herman Bavick said this in his intercession his sacrifice continues to be operative and effective

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Hear that again in his intercession his sacrifice continues to be operative and Effective Christ is there with his atoning blood

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Presenting it before the father day by day on our behalf

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And so today I want to ask six questions and I know a 20 -minute sermon which is normally what

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I do 20 -25 minutes on on sunrise to get six points and it's going to be tough But I do want to ask six questions as it relates to the intercession of Christ number one

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I want to ask the question. What is intercession number two? I want to ask the question. Who is he interceding for number three?

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I want to say why number four? I want to say where number five. I want to say what is the basis and number six?

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We want to say what is the result? So let's quickly walk through these what is intercession?

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What is Christ's intercession? Christ's intercession is him standing before the father on our behalf.

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I don't know about you But I need Christ daily to stand before the father on my behalf

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I need Christ daily to stand before the father because I fail daily and I need

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Christ before the father for me Because just like in life we need advocates.

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We need people who stand for us. We need one who stands for us before the father He's not here this morning

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But he'll be here in a little while Lord willing but I think about Jack Bunning and What he is in my life

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Years ago you all know brother Jack. He just sir. He just celebrated his 90th birthday and Very odd very early on in my ministry

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I went through some very difficult times here at this church going on now 20 years. January is my 20th year anniversary and About two or three years in to my ministry here

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There were some really difficult times the times where I didn't know if I was going to make it and I was thankful that I had a man

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Jack Bunning who stood next to me who stood up for me who actually went before me

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And actually defended me before people who wanted to see me be failing and be destroyed

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Wanted to see the ministry fail and be destroyed and Jack stood for me Jack was an intercessor in my life, and I'm thankful for that It reminds me when

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I was in high school. I played football I was the right guard and you know what the right guards job is to protect the quarterback

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To get out in front and make sure nobody comes in and sacks the quarterback Now I know that's a weird way of thinking of an intercessor, but that's what an intercessor is

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He gets out in front and he stands up for him and he defends him and Jack was my intercessor, but you know what?

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Jack's intercession in my life is limited Jack's intercession in my life is limited by the fact that he's going to one day pass on into glory

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He's older and one day he'll no longer be with me It is also limited by the fact that he is a mere man but Christ Does not have any limitations in his intercession when

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Christ stands on my behalf. He does not age out In fact the the book of Hebrews tells us this it tells us that we don't have a high priest

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Who's going to have to be replaced by another high priest? But we have a high priest who ever lives to make intercession for us

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We have that one who stands for us and he will never stop standing for us

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He will never stop being our intercessor with the father. He will live forever as our advocate and The beauty is not only will he live forever, but he'll do it perfectly

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He'll advocate for us in ways we can't even imagine do you feel like your prayers fail

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Saints? Yes, we do. We feel like our prayers fail. We feel like our prayers are not enough

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We feel like our prayers are impotent at times But do you realize that you have the Holy Spirit in you who the

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Bible says? Fixes that but also we have Christ who prays for us before the father when our prayers are weak and anemic and impotent

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We have one who is omnipotent who is praying before the father. That's who Christ is. He is our intercessor and That's what he's doing.

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So what is intercession? It is Christ standing before the father on our behalf number two for who

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Does he intercede? For who well, that's where this verse comes into play

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Because if you look at in Romans chapter 8, it tells us for who Christ intercedes

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Notice going back up To verse 31. It says what shall we say to these things?

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If God is for us who can be against us? Who's the us there? It's believers. It's the elect of God It's it's those who have trusted in the

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Lord Jesus Christ And he says this he who did not spare his own son, but gave himself up for who?

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for us all Who did Christ die for? He died for us

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He died for those who will believe and he says how shall he not also give us?

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Graciously all things and who shall bring a charge against God's elect you understand beloved

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That Satan according to Scripture is called the accuser of the brethren. You know what that means?

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That means he seeks to accuse you before God. How can you save a kaya? I know a

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Kaya's heart I'm just looking because a guy's looking at me, right? God knows my heart and he knows your heart and And and if God if God knows my heart,

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I know where my wickedness is I know where my failures are and I know that Satan could easily bring an accusation against me before the father

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But this text says how shall that bring any charge against God's elect because it is God who justifies

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Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died More than that who was raised and he is at the right hand of the father doing what?

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Interceding for us That's the beauty That's that's the beauty of what

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Christ is doing and who he's doing it for. He's interceding for us Number three why why is he interceding?

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Are we already saved? Yes, we are already saved But the

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Bible teaches that Satan still accuses us. It doesn't say he accuses the unbeliever.

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It says he accuses the brethren why would Why would Satan accuse the brethren before the father?

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Because he's calling the father's justice into question. You see what Judah did why are you not condemning

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Judah and Jesus holds out his blood and said this is why

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This is why I'm not this is why you're not judging him This is why you're not condemning him because he has been covered by the blood of the

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Lamb With every accusation of Satan the blood of Christ cancels out that accusation

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I'm gonna talk to everybody. I talked to Kai. I talked to Judah. We'll talk to Dave in a minute I'm just gonna go all the way around the room ladies.

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You can be safe I'll only talk to the guys But why is

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Christ interceding because we have an accuser because we have an enemy because we have one who is seeking to bring an

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Accusation on our behalf and we have one who can bring an intercession to block out his accusations

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Number four, where is he interceding from going back to the text notice? What it says verse 34 is the primary text this morning because in verse 34 it says who is to condemn

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Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is where at the right hand of God Where is

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Jesus right now? He's at the right hand of God. I Want you to think about this word.

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I want you to think about this word immediate Immediate now, why do

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I bring up that word? because When you think about immediate you think right now like if I say

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I want you here immediately that means I want you here Right now, but what immediate actually means is it means without anything in the middle?

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So if I say I want you here right now, that means get here now Don't have any lack to get here because immediate is the meat is the is the root word and immediate means without mediation without a middle

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Christ is in the immediate presence of the Father Who better to defend you

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Than one who sits and has the ear of the God of the universe every minute of every day

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Who sits next to the Father without any separation every minute of every day?

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Who better to stand in your place than one who is in the immediate presence of the

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Father right now? Jesus Christ That's where he is and and and the beauty of this if you think of the story of Stephen you members you remember

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Stephen was the first person to die for their faith and when

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Stephen died for his faith You'll remember in that story in Acts where it says the heavens opened and Stephen saw into the throne room of God and it says the

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That Jesus Christ was standing at the right hand of the

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Father And I think about that a lot because Jesus isn't standing at the right hand of the

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Father The Bible says Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father, but in that moment Jesus stood as Stephen's advocate as Stephen prepared to suffer and die for his faith in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ stood as his advocate and To receive him

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When Stephen said into into your hands Lord, and he said receive me into your hands when he when he saw the

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Lord The Lord was his advocate in that moment Beloved no matter what you face in life

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No matter what you face, even if you face the stones of the enemy if you are

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Christ and he is yours Then you will not be alone No matter what you face in life and the struggles you face in life

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You will not be alone if you have Christ because you have an advocate with the Father who is in the immediate presence of the

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Father who is ever living to advocate for you and to intercede for you

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Number five upon what basis is his intercession made

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It tells us it is on the basis of his blood again looking at verse 34 it says who is to condemn

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Christ Jesus is the one who died More than that who was raised What is it that Christ pleads on your behalf

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He pleads his own blood on your behalf John Owen said this the intercession of Christ is his continual

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Appearance for us in the presence of God by virtue of his office as our high priest

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Representing the efficacy of his sin offering Accompanied with tender care love and desires for the welfare supply deliverance and salvation of his church

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He is standing there making his offering known before God.

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I Made this offering this blood has been atoned. It was shed for Jerry. It was shed for Caleb It was shed for Dave.

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It was shed for Adam. It was shed for Steven. It was shed for Mike It was shed for Bert and all the ladies.

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We we know y 'all want to hear your names too, but it was shed for everyone who believes in him and that's the basis upon which his intercession is made and finally number six

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What is the result of the intercession of Christ hear this if you don't hear anything else, please hear this

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What is the result of the intercession of Christ? the result of the intercession of Christ is an impeccable standing before God Hear that again the result of the intercession of Christ is an impeccable standing before God Do you know who has an impeccable standing before God?

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Jesus He lived a perfect life he never sinned one time

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He never sinned in thought word or deed Therefore his standing before the

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Father is impeccable and he applies his righteousness

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To us he gives us his righteousness He charges his righteousness to our account so that when we stand before God We have an impeccable standing before the

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Father You understand that we have an impeccable standing. I I I talked to a lot of people

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By God's grace I've had the opportunity to have more conversations with believers and in their situations than I can count and one of the most common

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Things that has brought up to me one of the most common issues that people bring up is the issue of their

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Confidence in their own salvation what we call assurance People will come in pastor.

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I just don't know I've trusted in Jesus, but I just don't know

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I've trusted in Jesus, but I struggle with assurance Do you understand?

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That when you struggle with assurance it is almost always Because you failed to look at Christ and you've started looking at yourself

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You've stopped looking at the perfections of Jesus and you've started looking for perfection in you and Guess what?

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You're never going to find You're never going to find anything in you that makes you savable

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You're never going to find anything in you that makes you worthy of salvation The only way you will have assurance and comfort in your salvation is if you learn to trust in the

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Perfect forgiveness and salvation that is in Christ alone His salvation comes with his righteousness

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When you stand before God and God says why should I let you into heaven? Not that I think he's really going to ask you but if he were to ask you why should

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I let you into heaven? If your answer is anything other than the righteousness of Jesus Christ, you are wrong

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There is only one righteousness whereby you can be saved. I had a conversation with a guy just the other night he was a

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Eastern Orthodox priest and He was telling me how bad of a person

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Martin Luther was And he was trying to tell me that I was a fool to think Martin Luther was a godly man

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And he was going off about how terrible Martin Luther was I said sir, your problem is you think you're better than Luther.

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I Said your problem is you think that somehow you are more worthy of salvation than Martin Luther my friend

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When you compare yourself to anyone don't compare yourself to other men Compare yourself to Jesus Christ and you will find you are in the same place as all other men

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Deserving of God's wrath, but if you are in Christ, you have a perfect righteousness Which is applied to you through his atonement and continues to be placed before the

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Father in his intercession and it Cannot fail you can fail Christ cannot

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You are unworthy Christ is worthy. We sing the song is he worthy?

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He is He is all right, so We know the result of his intercession is

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That we have an impeccable standing before God and what is the result

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He says in here because of that because of that perfect intercession No one can separate us from the love of God shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or dangerous sword?

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No, those things can't separate us from God because Christ is praying for us He says for your sake we're being killed all the day long and these were more than conquerors through him who loved us

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How can we face the tribulations of this world and still be conquerors because Christ is praying for us?

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He says I am sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor powers nor things present nor things to come

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Nor height nor death nor anything else and all creation will separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our

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Lord How is it true that that is true that nothing can separate us because Christ is praying for us

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Beloved when Christ ascended into heaven. He didn't sit down to rest He sat down to intercede and he continues to intercede to this very day

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In a moment, we're going to sing and we are going to sing a song called before the throne of God above But that's not the original title of the song the original title of the song

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Was within the veil with Jesus within the veil with Jesus because this is what the song is about It's about right now right now if you could if you could peek in and See what was happening behind the veil

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And you could see what Christ was doing on your behalf It would give you great comfort and joy to know that the

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Lord is interceding for you before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfectly a great high priest whose name is love who ever lives and pleads for me

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Robert Murray McShaney said this he said if I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room

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I would not fear a million adversaries He said but distance doesn't matter

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Because Christ prays for me still We have an advocate with the father.

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We have an intercessor with the father and therefore we have no reason to fear for Christ our

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Savior continues to intercede for us Let's pray

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Father, thank you Thank you for your intercession Thank you for your glorious work on the cross

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Thank you for all that you have done through your son Jesus Christ Applying to him our sin and giving to us his righteousness and through that work

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Providing salvation and now daily having that salvation held before you in an intercession of the

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Sun whereby we are Continually held up Pleaded for loved and protected by him

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Lord, let us be confident today and what Christ has done and what he continues to do in Jesus name