Sermon Tone Analysis

Dear Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Are you part of Jesus Christ’s parade?

I don’t just mean if you have believed Jesus teaching, even believed in his life and death!

What I mean is that the LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate, crucified, died, but now Risen and Ascended, He is leading the most important parade in the history of the universe and whether you have become a participant in that parade or not is the most important question of our lives!

The ascension procession of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My parents experienced such a parade on May 5 1945 - liberation day, canadian and American soldiers - giving gifts of chocolate and cookies, everyone pouring into streets, caught up with new regime - old masters Nazi’s - blow up dikes, high tail it out, but to the Victor Belong the ______.

Would you be part of that parade on taht day?

Are you part of Christ’s today?

Most of us only know parades - like Santa Clause parade, nice side attraction - fun community event - but here is a military parade that your whole future and purpose on earth depends, and in which your whole eternal future is wrapped up in.

God so wants you to get this parade, to join this parade, to participate in this parade that He enacted 3x in history, captured here in and also the 3rd and grat fulfillment in SO I need to ask you do you get it, have you joined it, are you participating in it?

Key Truth: You must ‘get’, join, and participate in Christ’s Ascension Parade!

A. ‘Get’ God’s First Ascension from Egypt to Zion.

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What a fresh, new ital picture of God we are give in the first third of this Psalm.

is a reference to the Exodus … Whenever God signalled with the pillar of light and fire - lift up the tabernacle and move camp - Moses would say these words!

Picture the Exodus like v.4 - God descened to hear -the cry of an enslaved people - moved with compassion - like Phaorah’s army scattereed routed, seek to flee - llok at Miriam and Moses composing and singing - v.3 the righteous jubiliant and singing = why?

Well this God comes down from the ehavens and rides the clouds and the wind - rides through the wilderness of this world -

This God he goes down v.6 to the prisoners - breaks the chains, and he leads them to propsperity!

Do you see what this descending God is doing - so unlike the gods of Baal’s this is in contreast too -

Do you see what this descending God is doing - so unlike the gods of Baal’s this is in contreast too -

He is the father to the fatherless - adopting God - finds some in tough circurcumstances - lifts the humble poor protector of widows - seetling them by His active deliverance into home

He is the father to the fatherless - adopting God - finds some in tough circurcumstances - lifts the humble poor protector of widows - seetling them by His active deliverance into home

Do you see that their is no point to ascending if God didn’t first descend!

But look what he does next.

Vv.7-8

He goes through the wilderness, the earth quakes after thrid day - God at Sinai and now the Exodus is pictured as God taking them from Sinai - where?

Up.

Ascending into the promised land.

That’s the pace at the end of

God of the Patriarch’s El Shaddai led them to Mt Zalmon nE Sea of Galilee in the Promised Land.

The land of what of abudnant showweres of blessing of rain.

Restoring His people, as a prized inheritance in the land, providing all for the needy.

And as we get up to this promised - listen women are singing -”They flee, they flee -the kingso f armies … v.14 the ALmighty scatters kings.

What is this, just like in the conquest - just like with David’s victories - what are they doing - the spoils of the war - remember now to the victor bleong the _______.

They are sharing it with all - the shepherds the mown at home…

This is the first picture you need to understant the Ascension Parade of Jesus Christ, its God’s Ascension after the Exodus into the Promised Land.

And it is one in whcih God defeats the oppressors, the evil kings - enemis of His kingdom of grace, and lifts up and share the spoils to enter a time of peace security, and joy!

And what is this llok at the enemy v.12-14 they

I wonder if you do the same about Jesus Christ’s vicotry of which this was just the symbol, the type, rough sketch of.

Ephesians tells us he too descended first - came down in compassion to our slavery - by death of the First Born of Himself - paid dearly to ransom us - three hours takes on the wrath of God against sin, the direct attack of Satan, scorn of the world, the inescapable enemy of death, even hell itself.

Yes he descended to save us.

But what is this - the earth quakes at his death; the earth quakes again at his rising - hear He is marching out of the wilderness of hell and then from the grave - for forty days proving - He is the victor - and to the Victor Belong the Spoils - and there is his church beginning Thomas - the church is singing - they flee they flee - .. God has met us trapped by sin and death and hell, and in Christ - as Wesley put it so well, he breaks the power of cancled sin -and sets the prisoner free - that is you and me - Heal wa bruised, but now he crushes the head of the armies of darkness - -scatters the principalities and the powers - and He says to you and me let me lead you to prosperiety!

Led captivity captive… Sampson with gates on his shoulders…

That is a picture of the victory that we must celebrate in Christ, but it is the second picture in the Psalm that tells us how we must join the parade!

B. Join the Captives in Christ’s Train

Now the scene changes in .

Mt. Bashan fertile region NE of the Sea of Galillee - hghest peak there being Mt Hermon, it is now contrasted with the next place that God went up and ascend to?

What is that?

David pictures Mt Bahsan looking at another Mountain in envy and hatred.

What’s so special about you, about this other mountain?

Which is it v. 16 Mount where God desired his abode, chose to dwell in foerver.

Mount Zion in Jerusalem.

And now you and I have got to ask: When did God ascend to Mt. Zion?

Keep looking

This is what perplexed me?

How does Mt.

Sinai get jammed into the tent, the box in the Tent - that David brought up to Mt. Zion in Jerusalem?

You see that is the occassion for which David wrote this Psalm!

Remeber the ark of the covenant - wonders - dangerous, never touch, - why God dwelt in glory and holiness there - something so beautiful - remember after Uzzah touched and died, came to rest in home of Oded-edom - LORD dwelt there - blessed - and then seeing blessing of that household and all that belonged to Him - David brought up with much rejoicing - get that picture in your head - and the blessing of God dwelling with his peole -

David understands taht the way God dwelt with a heavnly army - chariots, tanks - at Snaai - now ascending to dwell in centre of HIs people nation Israel!

As David led in this - he takes on the role not only of king, but of priest sacrfices, and knwoig the prosperity God would bring as he dwells with people David lifts his hands blesses in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the people and what is more David gives gifts to all those who followed him and joined the parade - to the whole nation men and women - a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and cake of raisins to each ones!

David understands taht the way God dwelt with a heavnly army - chariots, tanks - at Snaai - now ascending to dwell in centre of HIs people nation Israel!

As David led in this - he takes on the role not only of king, but of priest sacrfices, and knwoig the prosperity God would bring as he dwells with people David lifts his hands blesses in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the people and what is more David gives gifts to all those who followed him and joined the parade - to the whole nation men and women - a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and cake of raisins to each ones!

Do you see it now the importance of joinging this parade?

The Lord Jesus Christ, after descending gaining the victory on the Cross, brekaing the back of your guilt and Satan’s dominon over you - he ascends to where - one fell swoop from the cross, Exodus, to the Pormised Land Mt Zalmon - not high enough , to Mt Zion into the sanctuary - from their he will

minster to us daily - bearing up our wonds, cleansing us, bringing deliverances from death and sin and Satan…

WAnd Ephesians tells us this what Christ was doing 40 days after His resurrection.

Not just oh he went up - ascnesion is a formal occassion - to a specific place - NT tells us didn’t just go up and pop into heaven.

No, he ascended into the heavenly tabernacle, of which tabernacle, temple would just be models.

He ascended like David - and what was Jesus doing - favourite picture at end of - lifting up his hands - stilll today in blessing.

Waht is he doing up there - not like David, or any of the other OT priests - minsiter forgivness but never enough - have to stand again and again, But now ONce for all presents sacrfice to Father in heaven - it is enough - NOw he sits at the Father’s righthand - as our representative forever .. and now I need to know have you jioned HIm in his ascension!

Look at the end of

You need to understand something about military parades in Bible times.

TO the vicotr belongs the ______.

But the spoils include also people!

THink of long train of refugees crossing Africa, into Medeterarreina.. Christ wins his victory - and the rebels - those who won’t submit are chained to his chariot parade - part of the many captives of the war.

Satan and his minioin, spritual power sin the heavenlies - broken and resstarined from deceive by tthe gospel; death’s stinger taken by Christ - so the grave’s become an entrance not a punishment.

V. 19 Deliver from death =.

and those who rebelious won’t submit they will be led by Christ to their humiliation - but what is this throng of those who do see this new king, do submit?

Is that you - struggle with sin seem stuck in rebellious ways, you work on ly for your own little kingdom of comfort and welath, pleasure…

But these - kiss the king like in , and follow HIm up to Mt Zion - were they are accepted in a great congregation of the redeemed!

- and they dance with the greater Son of David, and led up into His kingdom, to enjoy HIs gifts, and His future!

And they dance with the greater Son of David, and led up into His kingdom, to enjoy HIs gifts, and His future!

And that brings us to the wonder of .

David fileld with the HOly Spirit.

Speaks not of himself ascending, but Christ and then later Peter tell us David was a prophet - spoke of Messiah greater than he or Hsi Son sSolomon though saw him from afar!

C. Participate in Ascension with the Procession Gifts

I don’t know about you but I hate lines.

Traffic, Canada’s Wonderline, Disney Land - see if people get lined up - no purpose … stuck in lines.

The last scene of ascension is the spiritual meaning of this text, not yet fulfilled, but so vivid that David describes it as already having taken place.

And he says v.18 You ascended on high … says YOu receive gifts among men … victor belong the _______.

v. 28 kings shall bear gifts to you.

But now LXX and NT different emphasis , what did Christ do with the gifts he received?

Do you understand this?

This is why Jesus said he must not only die, rise, but go away from us physicailly, he had to be taken up into heaven, ascened to Father’s right hand - and it would be better for us!

Why?

Jesus Christ - receives greatest gift of all the fullness of the HOly SPirit in a new way - distruutes those gifts to every single believer, and to the church as a whole -

Understand if Christ , physically with us, limited; understand if didn’t assume the throne of David, and of heaven and earth - he could not communicate that victory to us.

But Christ does ascend locally, visibly, bodily; but he does not ascend alone!

Look at