Sermon 5-4-08

First Reading – Acts 1:11 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift m Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee”, they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Gospel – Mathew 10:32-38 (The words of Jesus where He calls us to make a public confession of our faith) “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Sermon –

Imagine this: In addition to going to God the Father yourself, you have Someone who is going to Him defending you, intervening for you and making requests for you; going to God the Father who makes decisions about your life every day, God the Father who provides for all your needs. Wouldn’t that be great? It would be unbelievable!

Imagine this: You have an almost storybook existence. No matter what happens to you during your life on this earth you will live happily ever after. Wouldn’t that be great? It would be unbelievable!

Imagine this: There is a way that Someone comes and actually helps you believe these things. If you could actually believe, just think of the peace, the hope and the joy you would have during the difficulties of life.

These things are true and they’re believable because of Ascension Day. A lot of times we look at Ascension Day only that Jesus left and now we’re here all alone to fight the world all by ourselves. Not the case! Ascension Day yields incredible blessings for you and for me – and we just named three of them!

One of the problems we have as we sin day after day after day and assess our behavior and feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, is that we say, “Wow, the separation between God and me seems wider and wider. I know Jesus paid for my sins on the Cross but does He still forgive me today? Is God still at peace with me today?” Because of Ascension Day, you have the greatest defender in the world in God’s Court of Law. It’s incredible – and here’s what God says in regard to Ascension Day in 1 John 2:1 “My dear children I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, not only for ours but the sins of the whole world.” Those are God’s Words, He want you to know this. As we sin and as things go wrong in our lives, we have Jesus Christ defending us in God’s Court of Law. No one can accuse you. If people say, “Boy, those people at Trinity are sure a bunch a sinners!”, Jesus Christ stands up and says, “Wait a minute, I paid for the sins of the people at Trinity, including the sins of the Pastor! They’re gone, they’re dealt with.” And God the Father says, “Those people at Trinity – Not Guilty! – Holy! – Acceptable to Me!” That’s what goes on the God’s Court of Law because of Jesus’ ascension. God has forgiven you, that’s what Christ’s resurrection means; and He ascended so that you would have the assurance that you are defended and declared not guilty in God’s Court of Law. You have the greatest lawyer in the world; One who will never lose a case, never has, never will. “Not Guilty!”, that’s the verdict. You are as close to God as you can possibly be because you are declared not guilty; there is absolutely no sin and no separation between you and God.

Jesus also speaks to God the Father on our behalffor those things we need in life. You don’t have to go through a Saint for some defense with God the Father, you have Jesus. Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” All things. All things that are good. It is impossible for God to give us something bad. God can’t do bad things. Sometimes we think things are bad; but a lot of those things we perceive as bad get us to cling to God. They aren’t bad if they get us to cling to God; God is using them. God will give us all things that are good for us.The Bible tells us in Romans 8:33, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies (declares not guilty). Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” That’s all because of Ascension Day. He is right there at the right hand of God, speaking to God, praying for you, and asking good things for you. You can be sure that no matter what life throws at you this week that it has been run through God the Father and has been run through Jesus Christ. If it entered your life, God is using it on your behalf in your favor.

You know how all children’s books end, “…and they lived happily ever after.” As adults we look back and say, “Well, that’s certainly not true!” But for the Christian, it is true. I borrowed a copy of Pinocchio from the school library. After Pinocchio was made and came to life, he made a bunch of bad decisions, got himself into a whole lot of trouble, things went wrong, and life was terrible. But as you get to the end of the book it says, “…and they all lived happily ever after.” What does Pinocchio have in common with the Bible? They both have a happy ending! Jesus tells us in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” And Revelation 21:4 says that God will wipe every tear from your eyes. Despite the problems and the difficulties of life, you will live happily ever after. Jesus is going to return, He is going to take you to heaven, and you will live happily ever after. Illness can’t take that away, sufferings can’t take that away, death can’t take that away – you will live happily ever after. Jesus is going to return for you and he’s coming soon. Either time will end and He will return for all of us or He will come back quickly for you as an individual. How long can we expect to live? Sometimes people make it 100 years. If you’re 10 years old now you can be assured that sometime in the next 90 years Jesus is coming back for you. If you’re 90 years old now you can be assured that sometime in the next 10 years Jesus is coming back for you – and that goes for everyone no matter what age you are! Jesus is coming back for you and you will live happily ever after!

Pinocchio is a very famous book, why do we want to read about all his problems? He made bad decisions and created a lot of difficulties. Who wants to hear about that? Or why do we read a novel? All those chapters where things go wrong, problems and difficulties; why do we keep reading? We keep reading because of what happens in the final chapter – “…they lived happily ever after”! Enjoy life. You’re in the middle of the book right now, difficulties and problems to be sure, but God is using them. You can go on and enjoy life because God has a happy ending for you; you’ll live happily ever after. That’s what Ascension Day means.

But you can’t believe this on your own. You are here this morning and if you believe this, it’s because God created that belief in you. You can’t reason this out. You can’t believe by yourself. God does it through the power of the Holy Spirit. You can only make your profession of faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a miracle that we believe and it’s a miracle that you’re here this morning. Just look around you, in the scheme of things on earth no one wants to go to church. Talk to your friends this week and tell them you go to church and they’ll say, “What? Are you crazy? Who wants to do that? There are so many other things you can do on Sunday morning!” That’s how people are by nature. But you are here and that’s a miracle of the Holy Spirit. That miracle occurred because God sent the Holy Spirit. When talking about His ascension, Jesus said in John 16:7, “I tell you the truth. It is for your good that I am going away, The Counselor (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” The Holy Spirit will convict, convince, and create belief. You’re here this morning because the Holy Spirit came, gave you faith in Jesus, and drew you here. The Bible says again and again that you didn’t choose, God chose you. You didn’t decide to follow Him, He chose you. Read John Chapter 1 where God tell us that it’s not by human decision, not by your own will; it’s because God chose you and drew you to Him. That never would have happened had Jesus not ascended.

Because Jesus ascended He is defending you; speaking to God the Father for you! Because He ascended you know that amidst the problems and difficulties in life, a place is being prepared in Heaven right now as we speak and He’s coming back for you! And because He ascended you know that all this is true; the Holy Spirit came for you so that you could actually believe and enjoy the peace and hope and joy it brings. No matter what happens this week, the trials, the difficulties, and the stress, there are just two words you need to remember to get through it all - Ascension Day! Remember that!

Prayer –

Heavenly Father, we have our scheme of how we think things should be, but you always know better. Thank You for Jesus’ ascension, thank You for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and thank You that we willlive happily ever after. Thank You that Jesus is there defending us at Your right hand. Thank You for all that Ascension Day means for us. Help us not to lose track of this, Lord God, amidst the difficulties and problems of our lives. Help us to remember Ascension Day. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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