Ascension Come Let us go up Isaiah 2
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Our guide kept saying it: Come let us go… lead us onward - more trudging… Kind of like bell in school, time to shut your math books - times tables, move on to phonics … Or steam whistle blows at the work quarry on Flintstones. “It’s quittin time! Yabadadoo! - screech out of the parking lot. Guess that’s changed to “Come let us go for work - is now chekck your cellphone, little alram. Just like wakeup - all these little chimes - text message come let us go. Let’s meet here. That was like our days in the Bible Lands tour puncutated movoing from one thing to the next with that “tag line.: Cmoe let us go. Though a George-ism - until someone asked him - why do you keep saying taht. I’m glad you asked!! THought he’d say, something about discipleship - come let us follow - like with Rabbi. But it is so much more. And if you’re a Christian who not only serves and fllows Risen Lord Jesus, but is united with Him - even to REigning King in heaven - got to get this!
A) Ascension is The Goal of Sinners Again Living with God!
Alliyah - The nations around will say “Come, let us go up to the mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob!”
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
. Referred to prophesy in Inhabitants of one city saying to another - hey - hey you - Let’s go at once entreat the favour, the grace of the LORD> You know the LORD of the heavenly armies the LORD OF host, LORD WHO IS KING AND BUILDING A KINGDOM - let’s seek him, I’m going up myself!
Referred to prophesy in Inhabitants of one city saying to another - hey - hey you - Let’s go at once entreat the favour, the grace of the LORD> You know the LORD of the heavenly armies the LORD OF host, LORD WHO IS KING AND BUILDING A KINGDOM - let’s seek him, I’m going up myself!
Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ ”
We are living in those days, if understand Christ is the temple of God, kingdom filling the earth.
And this prophesy gets us to one of the main ways this word is used: not just go up heaven and down is hell. not just lift up positive cast down is curse. not just as we’ve seen on another Ascension Day service - Ascened Go up - what a king does to his throne triumph of Christ in special way. Session.
But another main way this word alliyah was used in the OT - was for worship . Where did Israel and all the nations worship - high places wHAT WAS mOUNTAIN zION, the hill of the Lord, dwelling of the most high - Song of Ascents - when David brings tabernacle , not yet temple - but glory of Lord dwells with man, tent. Then the temple is built their, and a city with temple at its heart, on temple mount - holy city - earthly Zion.
B) This GOAL Of Ascending to Live with God Again is True Worship through Christ! Cannot be Confined to Mere Earthly Reality or Dry Religious Rituals
You know that are called songs of ASCENT, Before Bunyan - Pilgrims’ Progress. Think even of Jesus at age 12 from way down in Galilee, up on map, but down in elevation… Go up to Jerusalem - why required at feasts for worship. What was the pilgrimage these Psalms and believers life was about? This is where the GO UP imagery is so important to understand Ascension Day too. is the cry of a piglrim far far away from home, and in deep distress - any of you here tonight like that? Do you have the piglrim’s cry in your heart - tired of suffering, sin, evil , - heart longs for Zion. See the piglrim’s journey starts in the low places, in humilitatin and suffering - in the iwldernes of this world!
You seee like in the tall oak of this world so proud but really all dried up leaves withering. And the gardens bone dry without water. Strongest just tinder for fire. But fromt hat spot the journey goes to Jersuealem to the moutain of the LORD, Josephus said, standing up so high all those white stone,s and all the gold covering - could be seen miles away - shield your eye! And do you see the goal of the pilgrm’s prgoress - desitantion? not just get up Zion hills physically, to the hills I lift my eyes. But above the mercy seat, to what it represents:
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
And what happesn there in heavenly temple, tabernacle, holy of holies. Psaplm 130 great Psalm of forgiveness, out of the depths I cry to you O LORD< pla\ase haear my cry. If you should mark our sinbut HERE IS THE GOSPEL IN THE ot, HERE IS THE GOSPEL OF jERUSAELM, “But grace and mercy dwell at your right hand.” With you there is forgiveness.
Do you get prophetically what this si saying, At the right hand of God in heaven, is the throne where the Mwediator, your Mediator sits, and forgiveness -isn’t just floating outinspace, it is n’t a vague notioin, for everyone in general but no one in particular - it is with this this Lord, it is found, when your soul is knit with his soul- your soul waits with His. - you hope in His word of of pardon accetpacen…
Why not just ascend to jersualem, even to heaven, but rising of the soul within you with the LORD. Cry out o peopel - don’t be down cast, “O Israel hope in the Lrod\, for with the Lord there is steadfast love, pentiful redemption!
At the last of the ASongs of Acscent - praise of rejoicing worshippers more than if Raptor s win tonight, or even the whoel chapionship - because these behold the living god and now home in God’s house - involing blessing uppn all of God’s poeople.
who then could stand?
AAThat’s the last of the ASongs of Acscent - praise of rejoicing worshippers more than if Raptor s win tonight, or even the whoel chapionship - because these behold the living god and now home in God’s house - involing blessing uppn all of God’s poeople.
Listen to one commentoatr on what that is going to be like, not for Israelite back then, for us, who make it to the heavenly Zion, theat earthly OT jerusalem just a rough sketchi of: A.A. Bonar: “That is the havenly Jersuaelm, - your friends, God’s friends, joined together…
Now do you get it? Do you want to get through this wilderness, want to get from this vale of tears, the depths of our souls weighed down with sin k anguish, with injustice, evil - Come let us go up...
C) Because we Ascend to the Lord in Christ, We live in a Zion-Centered World
The prophesy in Is11 that when Messiah comes , works surprising reversal, whole earth will be full of the kowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the seas, and no hurting or destorying on his holy mountain like it fills the whole earth! .
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
THIS IS A ZION-CENTERED view of the universe , when the LORD wins victory over evil in all the nations of the world, when HE REIGNS - universal kingdom.
D) Our Lives Are About Ascension-Pilgrimage - Journey UP!
OT JUST ZION CENTRED WORLD, But the CENTRAL action of God’s people, and of NATIOS = THIS EXODUS ORIETATION - this pilgrimage to ZION, THis JOURNEY UP TO THE - THis Ascension Day I want you to ask how do I do this with JESUS!
Same promise in Daniel’s interpretation of dream in exile: huge statue of four materials - head gold, chest and arms of silever, middle and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and partly clay - UNCUT STONE - tumbling down STRUCK AND BROKE … so not a trace found BUT THEN WHAT?
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Do you understand the cry of the OT - My heart is longing aching the courts of God to see? Its the cry - of all of humanity - of every fallen son of Adam and of Eve. East of Eden exiled, longing for home - ever get travelling bug, - Last
6 years… student from Slovakia - wanderered the world - truly lived withthe people Gabor… see it in comments fromSlovak friends, Slovak food - ongs for home.
Do you undertand the cry ofthe OT - My heart is longing aching the courts of God to see? Its the cry - of all of humanity - of every fallen son of Adam and of Eve. East of Eden exiled, longing for home - ever get travelling bug, - student from Slovakia - wanderered the world - truly lived withthe people Gabor… see it in comments fromSlovak friends, Slovak food - ongs for home.
How about you? Wandered in our sin to the far country - how about in your home - you know in your relationships - live around each other not with each other - how about in your relationship with Lord, or in his church here? Elephants in the room - long for HOme -
But that’s just the problem - the nations had their gods, they had their ways of worship even OT Israel thought they had their ritual s to ensure the way home - cried out in exile when prophet cmae to them - The Temple The Temple The Temple. Lord Jesus says you to those just doing the externals, you tithe on your garden herbs, but negelct the real way. You have songs on your lips, but your heart is far from me! Do you see the problem?
What does that same
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
Not a ritual or a building, but spiritual way in Christ -into God’s very presence, no man come to the Father but by me - come to us full of grace adn truth - Jesus was God tabernacling with us below, when he came 2000 years, ago, but now since He made atonement, rose never to die, now since His ascension even greater privellege we united to Him, can go with HIm above - truly with Him and tabernacle with God above in a new way!
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?
What’s the answer?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
None of us can ascend, go up - we’re all prodigal daughters prodigal sons. When God told Moses build me a dwelling place so I might live among my people. He didn’t tell Moses take a survey of what music, what songs, what rituals, what come up with berst style -
And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
And so it seems that Israel had fallen from that pattern, even the earthly representation taken away in exile. Will God really dwel with men how shall it be? Can we really ascend the hill of the Lord get into his dwelling place?
That’s the big deal of Ascension Day Christ representing us, and making a way for made it into the heavenly tabernacle - from heaven shares that access with us:
by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
Why Hebrews says He is the guarante of a far better way between us and God - This is the new convenant! Now in part and after we die and in the new heavena and earth fully ?
And it is ours to really understand live out of this reality of Ascending wit Christ!
E. Live with your heart in Heaven & your Feet Firmly on the Ground! (But walking)
Chaplain at Tollendale write up on Ascension so right - orphaned holiday. And I also would suggest if you are living without the Ascended Jesus you are living a bit of an orphaned Christian life. As Martyn points out -the Ascension of the Lord Jesus -is not just the fulfillment and validation of what Jesus did in dying and rising -it is the culmination. If you are not living in dependence on the Ascended Lord Jesus you are missing out on the resources for kingdom living!
Chaplain at Tollendale write up on Ascension so right - orpahned holiday. But I also would suggest if you are living without the Ascenced Jeuss you are living a bit of an orphaned life. As Martyn points out -the ascnesino f the lrod jesus -is not just the fulfillemtn and validation of what Jesus did in dying and irsing -it is the culmination.
The ascension of Jesus into heaven, was not just a transfer of location to heaven. Physically lifted up to other realm, like Elijah - come let us go up to heaven… But the symbolism that Lord gave with this ascension, not just a chariot of fire. But what a cloud of glory cloud. Jesus didn’t just ascend by his own action. No:
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
and the cloud of glory took out of their sight. Something supernatural going on there, not just rising up physically, taken up in glory is how NT describes it - And those disciples staring up not just into the skies, but right into heaven!
What is the change being described here, in his earthly ministry Son of Man, made human - took on humiliation, sin suffering, death , but after the Cross, the atoning sacrifice after the resurrection, STAGE II on Son of Man, Son o God , - messiah’s ministry - transition into Christ’s reign in glory. Jesus had predicted this:
Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
By faith have you taken this in? Can you see our high priest and His king doing his work, with all glory there? As he is taken up in glory - receive new power and new reign for us his people. Our human nature, even physical nature perfected and glorified in heaven! From that centre of the universe, he sends His power down to us here and now! He
He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
As he is taken up in glory - recieve new power and new reign for us his people. He
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
Purpose is so that now He will reconcile and fill all things in heaven and earth. Process we are in And what was the purpose of Christ doing that?
He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
says this is the climatic event, (not of Christ's earthly ministry that just part I, has Cross and resurrection at Center). But here is the Center and climax of part II of Jesus’ life and ministry. Taken up in glory! The part we are living in right now!
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
Jesus said better if after the Cross, I leave you, ascend - This is the transition into a new age - where the Holy Spirit will replace my physical presence on earth. He comes with gifts of power. If not ascended Lord Jesus, live orphaned from God - But if live united to him Him on the throne up there, and His Spirit reign in our hearts down here - totally different life - totally different goals!
Jesus said better if i do thia, transition into a new age - where the Holy Spirit will rpelace my physical presence on earth. He comes with gifts of power. If no ascended Lord Jesus live orpahned from God - But if live with HIm onthe throne up there,and His Spirit reign in our hearts down here - totatlly different life - totatly different goals!
Think of Jesus said why he would ascend. - I go ahead of you to prepare a place for you.
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
DO you see it - there is in another place - more important than this place - heaven Zion above, And Jesus with all power and authority above, reigning by His Spirit drawing all His people to himself, And He will come again - and you know what that place prepared - Zion above - He is going to come down again and bring that with Him - heaven and earth one. Now if this is true - how are we to live as those on pilgrimage to Zion?
Song about being Manic. When I get up I can’t get down, can’t get my feet back on the ground. That’s ought part of manic reality, or of getting high, or of living life as an escape … But ascension means Christ’s preparing ultimate reality - aiming life towards that, but our feet firmly on the ground here!
Song when I get up I can’t get my feet back on the ground. That’s ought part of maic reality, or of getting high, or of living life as an escape … But ascension means Christ’s preparing ulitmate reality - aiming life towards that, but our feet firmly on the ground here!
Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
Part of filling earth and heaven with his victory, until he comes down again with Zion above, is as we live untied to him - the church on pilgrimage below here, the church militant in darkness and suffering of this world - seeks Christ’s goals and values and future!
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Give life now, the shape of things to come. That too was was in Isaiah vision of the future with the Messiah - Not just that we would go up to Zion, but look at it: . Our feet our on the ground to bring this Word, this way of life - to our neighbours!
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Do you see this - as Paul says in the churches of Christ on earth - grafted into true Israel are fulfilling the true Jerusalem in this age. And the whole purpose of Israel be low - like synagogue engraving in Capernaum - this vine -
go to the nation - grape cluster & pot of manna - the teaching of the LORD Christ, him as the True Word of God from heaven - the true temple has come, ascend the hill of the LORD with him - full access but now back into the World - so out of the church out o Zion below - this word, this way of living with God - go to the nations!
You really meet with God through Christ in His church, God Himself will teach you His Word, His Gospel, and the people, then neighbours will see that - say come let us go too!
This Ascension Day - ask yourself two questions: In Christ am I going up to the True House of the LORD, and Until He Comes again with its fullness, am I going out from Zion - living for what he says matter, living by His Word, COME LET US GO UP with Christ, but Come Let us also Go Out, and Onward with Him into our world. Why labour for all that is perishing, why not for what shall never pass away?
This final significance I want you to feel tonight. Seen in these words in
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Who may ascend the hill of the Lord, ultimate reality is there, and if untied to Christ, you with him, your elder brother, says, its alright I paid for you, Its alright - I know who owns this house, let me introduce you to Him, - God Almighty - he’s with me! As we are seated with him in Christ, already - seek the things of His kingdom! If your spirit is downcast, if your situation is in the valley - if as churches we’ve become way-too this world - hardly any salt or light - Look unto Jesus - and travel with Him today UPWARD and Work with Each Other ONWARD!
That’s why we live a life - taht says to others - Tally-ho. Come let us go. Amen.
Ascension Day - Tally ho - day. Fox hunt - fox is the thing we are after. The horse, the hounds. When caught sight of the thig we’re hunting for, the fox, a leader in the p[arty shout out to the rest and to the hounds - TALLY HO - and off the hounds would go and ll the horse, - coorodinate in puruist of that goal - all in that direction!
Ascensio Day is our Tally-Ho Day - Upward with Christ, ONward together as his church with Christ into this world. AMEN.
408 Rejoice, the Lord is King