What Is Jesus Doing In Heaven? 06/20/21

Directions. So I wanted to finish it today and if you look in your bulletin on the backside, you'll probably see up there the title. This sermon is what is Jesus doing in heaven. And that is Acts chapter 2. We're actually not going to read Acts chapter 2 because in general it talks about this but it is so long. So if you want to read that on your own York and this is more of a topical message day, we going to go from different scriptures because we'll have to do that to answer these questions today. So we're going to ask the question. What is Jesus doing in heaven? But before we get there, we need to ask another question. And that is why I must Jesus ascends to heaven. Why did Jesus have to go to heaven in the first place? I mean, he, he did die for our sins. Did he not? He was buried. Was he not? He did walk out of that tomb. Did he not okay with it? Why does he have to go to heaven? Would have been great if he can just stay here on Earth. I mean, he defeated death, what better testimony of someone defeating death and someone walking out of the tub and just hanging out here on Earth. I mean that would have been a great testimony, but when you look at the Ascension and talk about it, Luke talks about it very briefly. Mark has one verse about this in. This is what he says, so then, after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. That's all he says, that's all. If you read the whole book of Mark, that's all you'll see about the Ascension. Now, last week, we looked at Acts chapter one, that gave us a little more, it said they was two mens and white apparel standing there. In Jesus went up with the clouds. It was visible. So it gives us a little more information but it's kind of surprising that such a wonderful event as the Ascension. Is dealt with so briefly in scripture now doesn't mean that is not important. But what I want you to see this morning is, the Ascension is closely related to the resurrection is the, if you will, as the climax of Jesus's ministry here on Earth, and it's his triumphant return. To his Heavenly home before he came to this earth, he was just going home. It's what Jesus was doing and if you're saved this morning and when you draw your life, last breath, You're simply going home. That's where you going just like Jesus did. So, let's ask this question and this is point one. Why must Jesus ascends and we have it here? On the board. Why must he Ascend? Well, listen to what Paul says, I don't have this scripture for you, but just listen to what Paul said in Colossians chapter 1. He says, if me and you were raised with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God and I want you to understand in the Bible, you will read quite often, where it says that Jesus is sitting. At the right hand of God, this is how the right of Hebrews set it, that Christ offered one sacrifice for sins forever. Then he sat down at the right hand of God. He sat down at the right hand of God, so when Jesus ascended to Heaven, he took his place on the throne, seated beside God the Father where he reigns in Majesty. But why did he send, why didn't he just stay on Earth and continue his Earthly Ministry? I will give you four reasons why Jesus had to ascend. All right. Number one. Jesus had to ascend. Because of the nature of his body. Now, when Jesus came out of the Grave, he did not come out of the Grave with the same type of body. He had when he went into the grave. You say what what type of body did he come out with? He came out with what the Bible calls a resurrected or a glorified body, a glorified body. In other words, Jesus was able. After the resurrection, he was able to move through walls without opening the door. When he appeared to disciples in the upper room, the Bible says that disciples were there huddled up together with the doors locked and Jesus appeared to him. He didn't come through the door. He just appeared when the two was on the Emmaus Road and we preached on this a couple weeks ago. It says that he just up here beside him, he wouldn't walk in with him. The whole way, all the sudden they must have come to a Crossroads a spotlight or something that they had to stop. And then they look and Jesus right there beside them. You see, he was in his resurrected body. He could convey himself to one place to another, just he could suddenly appear behind a locked door. So, Jesus after the resurrection, he had what we call. A glorified body, in Francis, the same kind of body that you and I will have when we get to Eternity when you die and when your body is put in the grave at the Rapture or when Jesus comes back. Body is going to be raised to a glorified body and you're going to go up and meet your spirit in the air and forever be with the Lord. That's what the Bible that you going to have a body, just like Jesus. So when you get to heaven and you say what, you know, something, I'd like to go ask preacher, Mike a question, but he's about a thousand miles over here somewhere. You can just think it and you'll be there. You won't have to walk. You'll just just like Jesus. You will up here. And the reason he had to go back to Heaven is because the body that he had was made for heaven, it was a Heavenly Body, not an Earthly body. That's why when you arise from the grave, you going up to be in heaven because your glorified body is a body that was meant to be lived in heaven, not on Earth. And that's exactly why. So he had to return to heaven. To live within the realm on which his body was created. So the nature of his body number 2. he had to ascend, because Of the nature of his person. Now, let me ask you a question in the Old Testament. There were two men. Who left this world that never died. Elijah, and Enoch. Now, why is that? Where the Bible says, in the Book of Genesis? That ain't walked with God. And then it says this statement. He was not because God took him. God took him, he walked with God and when it come his time to go, he didn't die. God, just took him to Heaven. Well, that was in it now. Do you remember Elijah? He was a prophet of God and when he turned over the mantle to Elijah, it says that a whirlwind come in in a chariot of fire, he was taken up to heaven, he never died on Earth, he was taking up to help these were two great man. Of God, Al I just talked about a whole lot in the New Testament. Matter fact, would be good for us to do a study on the largest and we'll probably do it sometime but they were taken out if these two Old Testament Saints Because of their walk with God and their obedience. If they were taken out of this world before they died, how much more should Jesus Christ? Ascend, who was the perfect Son of God? How much more should he ascends and go out of this world? This world is not meant for him. He is a perfect savior, he come to die for the sins of the world. And now he's in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, if he Nick, and Elijah could be conveyed out of this world. So should Jesus. Because he was the perfect God man, they were still Sinners, they they may have walked with God, and Elijah may have been a profit, but he was still human, he was still a sinner. So another reason is because of the nature of his person, he was a perfect. The only perfect person. Well, he had to go because nature of the body had a resurrected body, the nature of his person because he was perfect. Let me give you another reason. Jesus had to ascend. And that's because the nature of Salvation. Now, think about this. I Redemption rest on four pillars here they are the death of price. The burial of Christ. The resurrection of Christ. And the Ascension of Christ. You see, the Ascension is what made our Redemption complete. If Jesus had not have gone to heaven, our Salvation would not be complete. You say, but he died for my sins. He did. He was placed in a tomb for my sins. He was he arose because he defeated death Hell In The Grave. That's exactly right. But if he'd stayed on this Earth, our Salvation would not be complete. He had to ascend to the right hand of the father and he did that so that we the ones who put placed their trust in him would know what type of future awaits up. One day, we're going up to be with it and that's why he did that. You see, only the Ascension could reveal that Christ had risen to heaven, and he now sits on the throne of Heaven. He's the head of the church and he is the only one in this universe worthy to be worshipped that ice Jesus Christ. He completed his work. On behalf of man it when he completed it, the last step he had to ascend. So, he had the same calls and nature of his body because of the nature of his person because the nature of Salvation and here's the last reason he had to ascend because of the coming of the spirit I listen to this what Jesus said it is to your advantage that I go away. Jesus told the disciples for if I do not go away. The helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him to you. The helper talkin about the Holy Spirit cut. If Jesus had not gone ascended, the Holy Spirit. If Jesus had not ascended, the Holy Spirit would have never descended. Never we would have had a local. I Christ I talked about that last week wherever he was on Earth, that's where he would be. If you wanted to go see price, you want to talk to him? If you wanted him to count for you, if you wanted to Touch the Hem of His Garment, you would have to go to where he is. But thank God today, we don't have to do that. He's in heaven and now God himself in a person, the Holy Spirit, dwells each of us and he goes everywhere, we go, everywhere we go, he is with us no matter where you are on the face of this Earth, so we don't have a localized Christ. Holy spirit is in our heart, wherever we go. So let's He had to ascend. Nature of his body because he a glorified body meant for having not on Earth nature of his person. The perfect Son of God nature salvation, the four pillars. He had to ascend so our Salvation would be complete. Then he had to ascend just so he could send the Holy Spirit to live with us, so we can have God in us our whole life here on Earth. So that brings us to point to and the last point. What is his ministry? In heaven. Now, I know you might have had children before, and I can remember when Jacob and Craig were small. And we put them in the bed at night and say prayers and read the Bible or sing to him or something like that. And it was at those times that they would ask these deep theological questions. And so one night, Jacob asked us. He said Daddy, he said, will they be enough parties in heaven? He wanted to know if they'll be enough parties, and now, why would he ask that question? That's because we had, we had about three or four bathrooms at our house and I guess he saw Mama and all of them all the time he was going to be room for us or something. And he said, is that going to be enough parties in heaven? And we said, yes, they are. They'll be enough parties in heaven, but children asked these questions and one that I was asked once and I can't remember which one asked me, They said, what is Jesus doing in heaven?

And I didn't know what to say.

Well, the Bible says he's seated at the right hand of the father.

Is that all he doesn't have it, he just sits, he just sit around in heaven with the father. I mean that's it. I don't know how to answer the question. So, somebody asked you today, what is Jesus doing in heaven? How would you? How would you answer that? What is he doing? I want to give you four things that he's doing in heaven. That the Bible says, and he's doing all these for us. And here's number one, His ministry in heaven is he's presiding over the universe. The sovereignty of the Lord. Awaits the future Kingdom to be set up. Remember the Bible says at some point in time, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the father. So he is in a place of authority over the universe. Now, we're going to put up some scriptures here and I want you to see him to come from different parts of the Bible. The first one is Ephesians 120 and 21. So I want you to see how he is in the place of authority. The Bible says that which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the Heavenly places, there's 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age. But also in that, which is to come, Jesus is in Heaven Beside the father, and it says here, far above all principality and power and might, and dominion, and his name is above every name. So he is presiding over the universe right now. He's in the place of supreme authority. Look how Acts 5:31 says, it says it like this, him thinking of Jesus, God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel. Forgiveness of sin. He's at his right hand and he's The Prince and he is the savior. So we see here over and over the Bible teaches us that Jesus is seated in the place of authority in heaven. You remember, when Stephen was martyred for his faith? And the Bible says he was full of the Holy Spirit and it says he looked up into heaven before he died. And he says, I see the heavens open and he said, I see the son of man standing by The right hand of God, he saw Jesus at the right hand of God. You seem to stand at the right hand of God is a metaphorical way of saying that Jesus is in the place of ultimate authority over this universe. He is presiding over all creation, not in a world that we live in this so confused today, is that not right? This world is so confused. We can take comfort that. Jesus Christ is in Authority friend. This world will not go in a rat in a direction that he does not. Want it to go. It will not, it will not go in any direction that he does not want it to go. He is a sovereign Lord. He is in control of all things. He's in heaven and he has the Easy Button. Let's just say it like that. He has the easy button and although he has not yet been crowned in a physical sense, he is still Lord and pushing all the buttons of the universe that's who he is. So he presides Over the universe. He's doing that and have a number two. And this is important in heaven, he performs as our high priest. Today, he is performing is our high priest. You see, there's built into the heart of every human being A desire to know God. Yet, we know, even in our sinful selves, we know that something has to happen for sinful man, to have a right relationship with God. In other words, there's got to be a go-between because, of my seeing Ike. I cannot communicate with God in the way I'm supposed to. So there has to be a go-between. Now, one of the oldest books in the Bible that was first written was the book of Jobe Now, I want you to see how Joe said this and I watch this and watch what he says. He says nor is there any mediator between us? Who may lay his hand on us both. Look how he said that. There's just nobody between me and God. They can lay their hands on me and lay his hand on God and bring us together. We all realize we were alienated from God and we but we want fellowship with God. What? What happened?

Jesus took his right hand and grabbed her hand on the cross and took his left hand and grabbed the father's hand and brought us together because of his death on calvary's Cross. You see, we had to have a mediator, we had to have a go-between and he had to be well as see how policy is it in. 1st, Timothy 2:5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and Men. The man Christ Jesus, there's one mediator and it is Christ Jesus. What's a mediator or mediator? Somebody who comes between two, estranged parties to try to get you back together? Well, what is a prerequisite for mediator? Will you have to know both parties? Intimately Would Jesus knows? God, it's only cuz he is God and he knows us Anthony because he became a man. He was a hundred percent. Got a hundred percent man. He knows both of us intimately. He is the only mediator that we will ever have. He's the go-between. That's what is talkin about here. He reached down and he grabs both of us and now he's our high priest and he intercedes for us at the throne of grace. But how does he help us in heaven as my high priest? Exactly. What does he do? What does the Bible say? He's doing for me? Will let me say this. First of all, He's assisting you when you are tempted that look at what Hebrew says in verse 218. For, in that he himself. Jesus has suffered being tempted. He is able to Aid those who are tempted. The Bible says he was tempted, just as we are get what without seeing. He was tempted, but he never fell for the Temptation like we do what who could help us more and who is in heaven today. At the right hand of God, bringing our concerns to the Lord. Except for Jesus, who was tempted? Exactly. Like we were but yet without seeing he can help us because he was because he was man, so he can help us to overcome Temptation in our battle with sin. Secondly, I hear something else he does. He will sympathize you with you when you're hurting. Now somebody's in here, this morning you have a hurting heart, you hurting over something in your life. Christ will sympathize with you. Look what? Hebrews 4:15 16. Seth For we do not have a high priest of Christ who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted. As we are yet without sin, Let Us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need. You can come to him and find grace and mercy to help in time of need because he sympathizes with our weaknesses. Now was it mean to sympathise if you if you have sympathy for someone, what does that mean? It's simply means this The ability to enter into the pain and hurt of another person. As if that pain in her, it was your own. When you can look at another person and you can sympathize with them, you enter into their experience and their pain. And it's easy to Simply step aside with somebody if you have experienced what they are experiencing a crisis, parents that all patient. It will have any any heartache that we would have. He has experienced it all and so he can relate to all of us. Well, he, he sympathizes with us. He also helps us in our Temptation and there's one more. He's able to save us now. Look at what Hebrews 7:25 says, Hebrews 7:25 therefore he speaking of Jesus is also able to save How is he able to say to the other? Most those who come to God through him, since he always live to make intercession for them? It says that he's able to save us to the uttermost which means he lives forever as a mediator and he protects our Salvation before God in heaven friends. If your save this morning, he has saved you to the other most to the uttermost. You can't lose your salvation. You did nothing to earn it. It is a gift so you cannot lose it. You are secure in God because our Everlasting high priest, is before man his duties before the father, securing The Eternity of our Salvation ever since his Ascension Jesus has been holding the role of high priest for his people. In friend, your security is not found in what you can do for Christ, but what he has done and he is doing for you now, in heaven that your security, not what you can do, not the life that I can live to please him. And I don't even go down that road, you're already in the Beloved, he loves you. You're one of his your names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. You've been sealed with the Holy Spirit. Your eternity is secure in his hands because no man can snatch you out of his hand. No one can do it. So, what is he doing for? As presiding over the universe and Performing as our high priests, sympathizing with us helping us in our Temptation and saving us to the whale number 3. Here's something else you doing then people don't Understand this in heaven today. Jesus is praying for you. He's praying for us. The Bible says that Jesus prayed for Peter. Even though Peter didn't even know he needed to be prayed for. Peter was about to face a spiritual crisis and look what the Bible says in Luke 22:31 and 32. Luke 22, 31, and 32, and the Lord said, Simon Simon anytime. He calls your name twice, he wants to get your attention. Lord said, Simon Simon indeed. Satan has asked the notice Satan can't do anything to you unless he runs it by God. First, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat and I'll look at the next verse. But I have prayed for you. Jesus said, I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail and when you have returned to me, strengthen your brother. Now, isn't that incredible there? What an amazing thought that the Lord of having the one who's, in control of this universe? The one who created every single thing in this universe prays for you, each day, you're on his prayer list. Y'all want some of you may say, you know I've been looking for a prayer partner for a long time. I can't find any make, will you have one in heaven? He prays for you everyday, if you want a prayer partner, you have one in Jesus. Now this is amazing. If you consider that the high Priests of old When he went into the holy of holies, he was not allowed to make a sound. All he could do was carry a blood sacrifice in there to make atonement for the people in his prayer, was that of an atoning sacrifice your prayer, but here we see, That Christ who shared his own, perfect blood to make atonement, he did it once and for all, he don't have to keep going back into the holy of holies and doing it. He was the perfect sacrifice, it was acceptable to God and he's in heaven, interceding praying for you. And me now, let me give you something else. He's doing it goes right along with this, praying for us. He he presents when we pray. He present our prayers. To the father. Jesus. Now remember for the high priest, it was a fearful thing to approach the holy of holies on the day of atonement. If he did one thing wrong when he was in the holy of holies and he was in there by himself, the people couldn't even go in there. If he did one thing wrong, God would strike him dead right there. You just strike and a it and because of that, when the high priest would go into the holy of holies, he would always have a rope tied around him. That would go out under the curtain to the other side. You said was, why was that in case he did something wrong? And cry, struck him dead. The people could drag him out. They wouldn't have to go in there cuz they wasn't allowed to go in there. So he wore this rope and if he did something and he died right there, the people without going in there with drag him out. You see, that's how you had to approach. God, then. But the message of Hebrews is that our high priest Jesus makes it possible for us to go boldly, to the throne of grace, we don't have to be afraid that God's going to zap us or anything. We can go to him without fear because we're in a new relationship with him. We don't come flippantly or irreverently but we do have free access to his throne and when you're in such a place in your life when you pray and your life is so out of order that you don't even know how to pray. This is what Romans 8:26 says, now listen to this. Likewise the spirit also helps in our weakness. The holy spirit for we do not know what we should pray for. As we ought But the spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered. When you get to the place in your life, when you don't even know how to pray. All you can do is grown before God, you don't even know what to say. The spirit will take those groanings, he will lift them up to heaven and your great high priest will take them and deliver them to the father and that wonderful. When you don't even know how to pray. The spirit will pray for you. Jesus will get those prayers and he will deliver them to the father. They are lifted up to heaven and presented Before the Throne, that's why our great high priest. That's what I have only. Father, does should we celebrate him on Father's of what he's doing for us? So what are we saying? He's presiding over the universe. He performs as our high priest and he prays for us and there's one more more clothes. And I know, you know this one Taj April 14th. He is preparing a place for us and I look at it. John 14 1 through 3. Let not your heart, be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. And receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also what's Jesus doing up in that, he's preparing a place for us. Just think all those Christians who have gone to heaven. You may have a father that's in heaven today, or mother, or child at our grandparents in heaven today. Jesus has prepared a place for them and he continues to prepare a place for us. You see if we put our trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, we're going to be with him for eternity because he promised that he's preparing a place and he's going to come back and get us. You see there's a special place in heaven for each person who believes in Jesus. Why did Jesus have to ascend? Why what? Just because the nature of his body He had a resurrected body just like we will one day nature of his first and he was a perfect Son of God. Nature of our Salvation would not complete, unless he went to happen, it would be incomplete. We wouldn't have the Holy Spirit unless he went to heaven. And what is he doing in heaven? Or what he's doing is, he's presiding over this University's The Sovereign God of this universe. That nothing happens in this universe unless he says, so he performs as I high, praise thee. Sympathizer helps us in our Temptation. Saves us to the uttermost he prays for us daily delivers, our prayers that we don't even know how to pray to the father and he's preparing a place for us. Think of that. What a heavenly father. He is. I think we ought to praise him this morning. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we do. Thank you and praise. You and love you today. Lord and thank you for this series on the death burial and resurrection of your deer sign. Lord. We started when he came into Jerusalem. We looked at what he said on the cross. We looked at the trials that he went and he was under and how falsely he was accused. More we looked on Easter morning at his resurrection. We talked about his appearance has two different people. After the resurrection last week, we talked about the Ascension in today. We close it out at looking at what Christ is doing for us in heaven, or we don't deserve this. We don't deserve a Saviour like this. Thank you for your grace and for your mercy. And for what he's doing for us and help us here at new, Grace Baptist Church always be at church that will exalt and magnify the name of Jesus. Forcing his name. I do pray. Amen.