05.15.2020 The Ascension of Christ

The Ascension of Christ

Do you how much Americans spend at Christmas? Christmas 2019, we spent more than one trillion dollars celebrating Christmas? Compare that with what Americans spend on Easter. For Easter 2019, we spent 18.1 billion dollars. That's 98% less on Easter than on Christmas. This Thursday will be the fortieth day after Easter, the day Christ ascended visibly returning to heaven. Would you hazard a guess on how much we spent last year celebrating the Ascension of Christ? We spend nothing, which doesn't make any sense; If the amount of money we spend on anything is an indicator of the value we place on that thing, then what value do we put on the Ascension of Christ?

39 years ago, when I started the ministry, we always had a worship service on the fortieth day after Easter, Thursday evening, to celebrate the Ascension of Christ,

How and why did the Church get so overly focused on the birth of Christ that we have all but pushed out the Ascension of Christ? We spend so much money and time every year preparing for and celebrating the birth of the baby, and almost entirely forget about the triumphant King, Risen from the dead ascended to the throne, returning to the Right Hand of God, the Father. How can this be?

When you take the time to "think about it," it seems backward to focus on Christmas more than on the Ascension of the Risen and Ascending Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

📷Think about what changed in the world the night Christ was born? Nothing changed. Truthfully, the life of Christ has little cosmic meaning until Christ's final week when Jesus dies on the cross on Good Friday and rises from the dead three days later. Indeed, that's what Paul believed and proclaimed:

Romans 1:4 (NIV) 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

His resurrection proves He is the Son of God, Divine. Peter writes these words,

1 Peter 1:3 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

His resurrection from the dead has brought hope into the world.

Think about what Jesus accomplishes with his life, from his birth to his Ascension.

Luke gospel begins with Christ coming into our world, coming down from heaven, and the gospel ends with Jesus leaving this world and returning to heaven.

Jesus story starts with the incarnation where He sets aside His divinity, humbles Himself, takes on our frail, finite flesh, (we call that the state of humiliation), and it ends with His exultation, (Philippians 2:8-9)

Philippians 2:8-9 (NIV) 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

He is born of a virgin and His story ends with the Ascended Christ being born from the dead.

His story with us begins with hope and expectation and ends with fulfillment and promise.

His story began with the praise and worship of Angels, Mary, Simeon, Anna, and it ends with praise and worship by "The Apostle's, and now us today). (Luke 2, Luke 24)

This day of Ascension is an affirmation of all that Jesus accomplished in His life on earth, all the work which the Father sent Him to do.

If the measure someone's life is not their beginning, but where they end up in life…

Then, shouldn't the Ascension of Christ have a more significant celebration, in the life of the Church, more worship and praise, and receive greater attention from Christ's Bride, the Church.

Here's are a couple of thoughts about what Christ's Ascension means. It means Christ’s "limitations" have been lifted. What he set aside in His humiliation he gained in His Ascension.

Oh, how we're waiting for the limitations of this "sheltering in place" and this need for "social distancing" to be lifted. Imagine how much more this Christ was waiting for His limitations to be lifted at his Ascension for our sakes. He does all this for us. He does it all for a purpose. Paul writes in Ephesians,

Christ ascends to fill the whole universe…

Ephesians 4:10 (NIV) 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

He ascends to give gifts to men.

Ephesians 4:8 (NIV) 8 This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." Ephesians 4:10-11 (NIV) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

He ascends and transfers to us, to His Church servants and all who believe, His authority. He authorizes them, us, and sends them, sends us out in His name and authority.

Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

He turns over to His followers, to us, the privilege, the joy, and the responsibility to take the gospel to the world.

Christ is sitting on His throne, and it's time to extend the Kingdom of our King.

It's time to make the presence of Christ known, and it starts with you and me. It's time for a new day of proclamation.

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📷The day for the sign holder on the street corner is gone. His message might be accurate: The world is ending. Repent or perish. Turn or burn. But his words sound so abrasive that his message goes unheard and may even do harm to the proclamation of the gospel.

You know what's funny about Jesus? Jesus never sounded off, odd or weird. Jesus was spot on with every word. I know he had the advantage of knowing every heart, so touching someone's heart was easy for him.

Jesus loved every soul even those who would deny him, reject him, and even betray him. I know He's not like you and me in that respect. Jesus has infinite love. I get that. I'm glad He does, for that means He has room in His heart for sinners like you and me—that's why we need to be talking about him.

It's time we talked about the King. He's the everyone needs to know and believe in before you leave the planet, before you check out of this life, before you take your last breath, and before you die. You have to know him.

There has to be an urgency in us who know Him now, to make Him known to the people we love that they may know him before it's too late.

This can't be a day for silence. This is a day to announce to the world the Ascending Christ is Reigning on His throne, and He is coming again, and soon, we pray.

It's time to tap into the heart of the King every day. Jesus shouldn't be someone we have a holy conversation with here in the sanctuary or online live worship. Jesus blesses you best when He is a part of your everyday life every day.

Unfortunately, we tend to keep him at arm's length so that he won't mess up with our lives or turn us away from our sin. Many times we fear that if Jesus gets too close, He'll mess with our living right now and ruin our days and self-pleasing ways. Let Him direct your path and lead to daily blessings.

It's to tap into the power of the King.

He left the earth so that he could reign over the universe. He's at your disposal by prayer, but don't take my word for it, take His. And more importantly, take advantage of his offer,

Mark 11:24 (NIV) 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Let's make the most of the day, let's tap into The mercy of the King every day of your life. Paul encourages us,

Romans 12:1–2 The Message

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Have we ever thought that just embracing what God does for you blesses Him? Enjoying life and thanking Him for it and laying your entire life daily as an offering to God blesses him.

Having God-talk, holy conversations with others about what God is doing in your life blesses Him. Have it with your spouse. Have it with your kids. Have them with your neighbor. Have them with the guy you work with . Let them all know what God is doing in your life.

Christ, Your King, is doing great things for you all the time, whether you're aware of it or not. So get up every morning you and rejoice and give thanks for another day He's has given you. Thank him for it. Bless others because of it. That's just the beginning of embracing what God does for you, which blesses Him as well. Let’s enjoy in the Kingdom with Christ our King.