1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:05,800 Would you please turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1? 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,320 While you're turning there, let me just say and then pray. 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:17,360 The first thing I need to say is if y'all were paying attention 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,440 to Trey's prayer, you do not need this sermon any longer 5 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,640 because that's just the heart of this text. 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,840 And so man, thank you, brother, for for leading us. 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,280 Let me pray for us and then we'll dig into God's Word. 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:40,520 Father God, we do need to live in light of the irrevocable 9 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,440 reality that happened when Jesus ascended into the heavens 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,200 leading captivity captive and sat down at your right hand. 11 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:56,440 After having made purification for sins once for all, He sat 12 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,080 down at your right hand, all enemies being placed under His 13 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,280 feet. And He now ever lives to make 14 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:10,160 intercession for US, claiming and proclaiming and pleading His 15 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:15,080 precious blood over us. When we in our struggle with sin 16 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,680 fail, He pleads our 'cause our Advocate with the Father. 17 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:27,560 Lord, help us, help us to know and live in light of the truth 18 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,680 of the ascension. Would you grant that this text 19 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,440 would have its work in US and give us joy in it? 20 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:35,760 We ask it in Christ's name, Amen. 21 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,600 So you're in Ephesians chapter 1. 22 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:45,160 And let me say today, if you, if you don't know, today is 23 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:52,600 National Idaho Day. Congratulations, right? 24 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,520 We can we can eat some potatoes and welcome students that are 25 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,920 here from Idaho. Today is also national cherry 26 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,280 cobbler day. OK, so feel free to make a 27 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,919 cherry cobbler and then one of the other meaningless holidays 28 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,680 it's it's ascension Sunday. You know, no big deal, right? 29 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,520 We trace prayer. So interesting that we were both 30 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,480 thinking along the same, the same lines that as as 31 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,040 Christians, man, we really love Christmas and we ought to love 32 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,040 Christmas and we really love Easter and we ought to love 33 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,320 Easter. But we tend to not know what to 34 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:35,120 do with Ascension Sunday. It's Christ left us and went 35 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,320 into heaven where he's safe and we're suffering. 36 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,760 And you know, I don't know, but it's just time to time to suffer 37 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,520 through. Well, the ascension of Christ 38 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:53,440 fundamentally changed everything about the cosmos, everything, 39 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,280 absolutely everything. And So what I want to do today 40 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,920 is I want to look at this text with you where Paul prays for 41 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:05,200 the Ephesian church and by proxy prays for us so that we can dig 42 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,760 into these things as well. So in verse 16, we'll just read, 43 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,320 I'll make a couple of comments here and then, and then we'll 44 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,960 dwell richly on it. Paul says, I do not cease to 45 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,160 give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 46 00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:22,880 And so we would ask Paul, what are you praying for us? 47 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,120 What, what, what is your, what is the content of what you want 48 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,680 for us? Verse 17 that God, the God of 49 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,240 our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that he may 50 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,360 give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the 51 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,920 knowledge of him. What does Paul want? 52 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,920 He wants you to know God. That's what he wants more than 53 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,760 anything that you would know God and then he says he he qualifies 54 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:55,040 what it means to know God in verse 18 having see the the the 55 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,400 participle there. So so he gives us a spirit of 56 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,040 wisdom and a revelation in the knowledge of him having the eyes 57 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:07,560 of our hearts enlightened that you may know and that that 58 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:13,240 phrase there that you may know is it governs these these three 59 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,320 main movements of what he's going to pray. 60 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,560 So we would ask, and we should ask Paul, what do you want us to 61 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:24,960 know as we, as we know God, as we, as we And you think you 62 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:29,800 ought to think Genesis, end of Genesis 1. 63 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:34,120 No, Genesis 4, Adam knew his wife Eve. 64 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,880 And they can see this is not intellectual knowledge. 65 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,320 This is intimacy that we would know these things about God. 66 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,000 And he mentions 3 things. And I want you to catch him. 67 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,960 And then we'll, we'll think about them together that you may 68 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:52,440 know experientially, intimately. First of all, what is the hope 69 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:58,720 to which he has called you? Secondly, what are the riches of 70 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,840 his glorious grace and his glorious inheritance in the 71 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:05,280 Saints? So the hope that He has called 72 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:08,040 us to the riches of his glorious inheritance. 73 00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:12,160 And then thirdly, in verse 19. And what is the immeasurable 74 00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:18,520 greatness of His power toward us who believe those three things? 75 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:19,640 That's what He wants you to know. 76 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,760 What is your hope? What is the riches of His 77 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,160 glorious inheritance, and what is the immeasurable greatness of 78 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,280 his power toward us? You believe so. 79 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:33,320 We're going to start with with hope. 80 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,600 OK? So many Christians think that 81 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,600 life with God means that we have been called to various 82 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,160 unpleasant things. Somehow we pick up this notion 83 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,920 that Christianity is first of all just to call this suffering. 84 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,920 And when you come to Christ, what he wants you to do is is 85 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,280 suffer. And it is true that we have been 86 00:05:52,280 --> 00:05:56,200 commanded to endure suffering whenever it comes, not to seek 87 00:05:56,200 --> 00:06:00,160 it out, not that we go trying to find suffering, but that we try 88 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,880 to faithfully live out the the life that God has laid before 89 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:06,760 us. And suffering inevitably 90 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:12,640 sometimes comes, but never as Christians, never do we ever 91 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,280 suffer without an end. Insight. 92 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,120 Suffering is not the end for which Christ has called you. 93 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,360 I'm just calling you because I want you to suffer and die. 94 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:26,000 No, suffering to the Christian is never the home of a 95 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,080 Christian. Suffering is the valley we pass 96 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,360 through in order to get home. So he hasn't called us just to 97 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:37,280 suffer as an end in itself, but to be faithful through it until 98 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:41,320 he brings us to greater glory. Some, some Christians think that 99 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,760 the hope to which God has called us is that he's called us to 100 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:49,400 just self sacrifice. And it is true when Bonhoeffer's 101 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,200 line, when Christ bids a man, calls a man, he bids him come 102 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,080 and die. It's true we are to die to 103 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,400 ourselves and live to God. We are to mortify the deeds of 104 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,800 the flesh, but again, never as an end in itself. 105 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,880 The mortification of the flesh, the sanctification of a 106 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:12,040 believer, is life in this short transient period until we get to 107 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:17,200 where God is going to take us. So it's the necessary means of 108 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,160 growth until God is through forming his Son in us, at which 109 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:25,560 point in time there will not need to be mortification of sin. 110 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,800 You will one day on the authority of God's Word, you 111 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,240 will reach the the place where all things are allowed, where 112 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,960 everything you long for is exactly what is pleasing to God 113 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,080 and what a liberty and freedom that would be. 114 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,640 That everything I want, he says that's exactly what I want for 115 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,520 you. You will have your affections, 116 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,160 your entire body will be sanctified. 117 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:52,080 So no, God does not call the Christian just to eternal self 118 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,160 sacrifice. No, nor does he call us to a 119 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,280 white knuckle remnant. This is another when when Paul 120 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:03,120 says he wants the Christians to know the hope to which he has 121 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,960 called you. I'm just I want you to know some 122 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,560 things, some mistakes that we make here and white knuckle 123 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,200 remnant is one of those things true. 124 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,640 Sometimes we feel like Elijah who said these words to the 125 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,640 Almighty God. He says I've been very jealous 126 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,960 for the Lord, the God of hosts for the people of Israel have 127 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,320 forsaken your covenant and thrown down your altars and 128 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:30,320 killed your prophets with a sword and I even I only am left. 129 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,440 Do you ever feel like, men, where are faithful Christian 130 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,640 men? Where are faithful Christian 131 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,120 women? Where are faithful Christian 132 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,080 churches in our land? Where have they all gone? 133 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,840 And so sometimes we feel like, Lord, we're just all alone here. 134 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,880 God told Elijah, even then, no, you're not all alone. 135 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,160 I have reserved for myself, I think it was 7000 men who had 136 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,040 not bowed the knee to bail. And even now, when we feel 137 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,200 alone, we realize there's actually great pockets of 138 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,440 faithfulness. It is true that often we feel 139 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,200 like a faithful minority holding fast to the Lord and to His 140 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,440 word. But this is not the home of a 141 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,600 Christian. This is not the home of a 142 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,880 Christian. We love to remember that Abraham 143 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,280 was justified by faith, and rightly so, that Abraham 144 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,120 believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. 145 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,640 But we need to also remember the content of the promise that he 146 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:26,640 was believing. Does anybody want to take a stab 147 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,400 in public, risking the shame of getting the wrong answer? 148 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:36,120 What was the promise that Jesus Christ, the word of God in 149 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:40,560 Genesis, it says the word of Yahweh came to Abraham and 150 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:44,520 brought him outside. And Jesus standing with Abraham 151 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:50,000 said, look to the heavens, countless stars if you're able, 152 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,440 period, end of sentence. And he waits. 153 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:59,360 And then Jesus promises Abraham, So shall your offspring be. 154 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,000 And Abraham believed that promise, and it was credited to 155 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,920 him as righteousness. Abraham was justified by taking 156 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:11,520 Christ at his word, that when it is all said and done, the amount 157 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:16,880 of the redeemed humanity will be with Christ will be greater than 158 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,640 the amount of humanity that remains unredeemed. 159 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:25,920 So we need to stop making as ends what the Bible call light 160 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,160 and momentary suffering, which prepares for us a weight of 161 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,040 glory. Peter says it this way, and this 162 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,400 you rejoice, though now for a little while if necessary, you 163 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,960 have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested 164 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,880 genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes 165 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,400 though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and 166 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,200 glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 167 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:53,680 So no, yes, you have been called to endure suffering on occasion, 168 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:58,280 but what you are actually called to is praise and glory and 169 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,600 honor, and that's why you hold fast. 170 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,520 OK, so here's what Paul wants us to know. 171 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,680 Three things. First off, the hope to which he 172 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:09,720 has called you. And So what is that hope? 173 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,880 What is the hope to which you know yourself summoned by God? 174 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,600 It's a it's a hope that God has called you to. 175 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:22,920 So what is that confident expectation of future grace that 176 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,400 he has called us to? Well, we would start with the 177 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,760 hope of personally being reconciled to God and eternally 178 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,840 forgiven of sin and the possessor of eternal life, 179 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,120 right? That is the that's the initial 180 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:36,640 invitation. You have sinned. 181 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,720 God is holy. Your sin requires death in 182 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,000 Christ. Your death has been paid, your 183 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,320 righteousness has been provided, you have mercy, you have 184 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:50,400 forgiveness and you personally by faith alone are reconciled to 185 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,520 God. Yes, that's the first step of 186 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:57,080 the hope that he has called us to and or, or in the in the 187 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,800 words of the infomercial. But wait, there's more order 188 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,760 now, and you get also the hope of the utter defeat of your 189 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,960 enemy, the devil, Satan. The New Testament says in 190 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:14,040 Colossians 215 that's that the Lord Jesus on the cross, not 191 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:18,240 sometime in the distant future, but on the cross, he disarmed 192 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,920 the principalities and powers, having taken away that the the 193 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,000 laws that the record of debt that stood against us. 194 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:31,120 Jesus disarmed Satan. Jesus cast Satan down. 195 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,120 He describes that as a past tense reality. 196 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:39,640 In Luke 1018, I saw Satan fall like lightning, that Satan has 197 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:41,400 been bound. This is Matthew 12 and 198 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:43,000 Revelation 20. Matthew 12. 199 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:48,040 Jesus is showing as he is liberating captives, people who 200 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,840 have been bound by Satan. And the king comes and he says 201 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,680 you're free. And Satan has no power to hold 202 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:57,320 on to them because he's been bound by the stronger men who 203 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,880 broken bound the strongman and now is pillaging his house. 204 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:02,760 That's what's mentioned in Revelation 20. 205 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:06,080 Satan has been disarmed, cast down, bound. 206 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,160 He is unable to stand against the church. 207 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,040 So many Christians think that the church is fighting a losing 208 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,840 battle when it was Jesus who said I will build my church and 209 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,720 the gates of hell will not stand against it. 210 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:22,040 He is unable, Satan is unable to successfully deceive the 211 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:25,640 nation's any longer. 2nd Corinthians 4 three and six. 212 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,640 The God of this world is blinding hearts and minds, but 213 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,440 the light of the gospel can come and be seen in the face of Jesus 214 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:35,880 Christ. The God who in the beginning 215 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,520 spoke light Into Darkness, This day is speaking light. 216 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:43,400 And so Satan can't stop that. And then lastly, that Satan, 217 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,280 Paul tells the Romans, Satan is soon to be crushed under the 218 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:48,560 feet of the church, which is the body of Christ. 219 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,480 Romans 16 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your 220 00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:57,960 feet, he tells the church. So we have been called to a hope 221 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,080 of personally being reconciled to God, the hope of the utter 222 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:07,880 defeat of our enemy, the devil, the hope of and this is a a hope 223 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,760 that we lose sight of all the time that we have been called to 224 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:16,800 the hope of bodily perfection of bodily perfection. 225 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,360 We, God help us, we are Gnostic in our understanding of things 226 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:26,800 that we think spirit and soul good, body bad. 227 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,480 And so we we will sing songs like we just can't wait for the 228 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:35,440 day when I, when I die in this useless lump of clay, gets put 229 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,560 into the grave and then my soul goes to be with the Lord. 230 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,640 I want you to listen to Paul talking in Romans 8. 231 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,560 He says we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit, 232 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:49,640 we groan inwardly as we waited eagerly for the adoption as 233 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:55,200 sons, the redemption of our bodies, not of our souls. 234 00:14:56,040 --> 00:15:00,040 We have the first fruits of the Holy Spirit and we groan because 235 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:04,200 we're in this, this in between where we still have a sin nature 236 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,160 warring against the spirit within us and it's a constant 237 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,800 struggle. And so we groan, but he says we 238 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:15,960 eagerly await the the adoption of sons, the redemption of our 239 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:21,200 bodies, and listen to this in this hope we were saved in in 240 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,000 one hope. Well, it's not the hope of that. 241 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,360 Our soul is going to just go and be with the Lord in heaven when 242 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,080 we die, which it does, awaiting the day of the resurrection of 243 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,000 the body. It is in this hope that we are 244 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,720 saved. Christmas means your bodies, not 245 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:38,640 just your souls, are to be redeemed. 246 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:43,720 And the ascension means that human nature itself has been 247 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:49,000 raised and exalted in Christ and is at this moment seated in the 248 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,040 heavens, reigning with God. Human nature. 249 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:55,920 We, we get this idea all the time that like that somehow we, 250 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,400 we again, we get it from the pagans that this, when the, when 251 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,400 the New Testament talks about the resurrection of Christ, we 252 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,680 pretend like the only thing that raised was his soul, that he 253 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:06,640 went up as a ghosty into the heavens. 254 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:10,920 No, in the same way that Adam was the representative of 255 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:14,960 mankind and when he acted on behalf of mankind, everybody 256 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,320 went with him into the grave. Everybody becomes dust. 257 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:23,040 Now the new and greater Adam acts on behalf of mankind, and 258 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,920 what happens to him happens to all of humanity, that he is 259 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,240 risen from the dead, we're told as firstfruits. 260 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,800 He ascends into heaven, and humanity itself is seated at the 261 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:38,640 right hand of the Father, and we have been raised up with him. 262 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,320 So says Ephesians 2. Listen to your betters. 263 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:48,120 This is a This is from the hymn called See the See the Conqueror 264 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,680 Mount in triumph. Listen to these words and I dare 265 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,160 you. I dare you to pretend like this 266 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,440 is not directly from the New Testament. 267 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,040 There is chapter and verse on every phrase in this paragraph. 268 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:06,040 Listen, Christ has raised our human nature in the clouds to 269 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:12,680 God's right hand. There we sit in heavenly places. 270 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:19,760 There with Him in glory stand Jesus reigns, adored by angels. 271 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:23,640 Man with God is on the throne. Did you know that? 272 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:28,440 That man with God is on the throne, and we are with Him, 273 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:34,680 mighty Lord in thine ascension By faith we behold our own. 274 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,480 It's glorious everything that has happened to Christ has 275 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,080 happened to us and I would just again homework. 276 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,960 I gave you homework a couple weeks ago to read Ephesians one 277 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:50,000 now read Ephesians 2 and read it all that that you were dead. 278 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,360 He made you alive and we all yes and Amen that like a past tense 279 00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:57,120 reality and he speaks of the same tense that he raised us up 280 00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:59,840 and he seated us with him in the heavenly places. 281 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,560 Your life don't seek the things on the earth, but seek the 282 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:06,240 things which are above where your life is hidden with God in 283 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,720 Christ. It does not do for us to strip 284 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,080 and to castrate all the manifold hope that is offered to to God's 285 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,320 people in the gospel. Paul wants us to know the hope 286 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,240 to which we've been called. And so we can't cut out all of 287 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:21,840 those things that actually have power. 288 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,040 We've got to get back to the word and let it dictate to us 289 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,000 what we were able to confidently expect. 290 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:31,040 We, we had a, a really interesting conversation about 291 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:35,880 eschatology this Friday. And you know, the, the running 292 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,040 joke of like, well, you're a, you're, you're an 293 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:39,960 amillennialist, you're a postmillennious, you're a 294 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,240 premillennious. I'm a pan millennials because 295 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:43,840 it's all going to pan out in the end. 296 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:46,000 And we just say, well, it doesn't matter. 297 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:48,080 OK, like, like these things don't matter. 298 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,240 Listen, I do not care what you call yourself as far as your 299 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,560 eschatological position. It doesn't matter. 300 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,680 In the same way, I don't care what you call me, just don't 301 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,800 call me late for dinner. I don't care what eschatology 302 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,600 you ascribe to, but here's what I do care about. 303 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:10,200 I do care that you don't store a way for future the reality that 304 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,920 God says is present because that is functional rebellion. 305 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,640 It's functional rebellion. Jesus said go make disciples of 306 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,360 all nations. And so we must do that. 307 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,080 We must endeavor to do that and we must do it. 308 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,480 The only way that we're going to do it and stay faithful to it is 309 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,040 with the hope that Christ intends to conquer through his 310 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,120 people. So he wants you to know the hope 311 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,200 to which he has called you. Secondly, the riches of his 312 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,320 glorious inheritance in the Saints. 313 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,400 Now think about this as a as an old through your Old Testament 314 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:47,920 lens. According to the Old Testament, 315 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,560 what is an inheritance? What is what is that? 316 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:57,240 Well, it's, it's land that God gave to his people what's given 317 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,600 as a possession. This, this word means that which 318 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,280 is given as a possession to the Saints. 319 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,760 And so in the Old Testament, we typically think land, the land 320 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,040 of Canaan. But I want to, I want to read 321 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:13,680 you something. We, we that that God promised to 322 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:18,040 Abraham. This is Romans 413 Again, this 323 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,040 idea we need to know the riches of his glorious inheritance in 324 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:24,440 the Saints in Romans 413. Listen to these words. 325 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,720 For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring, by the way, 326 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:30,040 that's why we baptize our babies. 327 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,280 The promise to Abraham and to his offspring. 328 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,080 So it's a promise that went to two people, Abraham and his 329 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:41,120 offspring that he would be listen to these words, heir of 330 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:45,200 the world. The promise that Abraham would 331 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,120 be heir of the world did not come through the law, but it 332 00:20:48,120 --> 00:20:49,600 came through the righteousness of faith. 333 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,720 That word for world is not in in Greek. 334 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,440 It's not in gates, which means land, right. 335 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:59,840 So so we could we could sort of do some gymnastics Jesus with 336 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,640 that text and say, well, what God actually promised Abraham 337 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,840 was just the land of Canaan. But Paul says no, God promised 338 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:13,960 Abraham the world in you, all the nations of the earth, we'll 339 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,240 be blessed. That word is cosmos, entirety of 340 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,440 the world. And so in the same way that when 341 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:22,200 God made the world and then created man in his image and put 342 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,080 him in a garden, God gave him a tame Eden and the rest of the 343 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:29,560 world lordship over the world that he was to go apply in the 344 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,760 same way, right? So you've got a tame walled 345 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:37,000 garden, and then also the world that's wild and needs to be 346 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:41,880 fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion 347 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,920 in the same way that that Abraham was given Canaan, and 348 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,520 through Canaan the world, the Father has given Christ the land 349 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,080 of Israel, because it's part of the world. 350 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:58,760 In Christ God has blessed and is blessing every family, every 351 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,320 nation, every tribe, every people group on the earth. 352 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,040 The Proverbs teach us to measure a King's worth by the number of 353 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,680 his subjects. So again, when it is all said 354 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,720 and done, Christ will have more humans with him than against 355 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:15,120 him. This is the riches of his 356 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:17,360 inheritance. Listen to me, brothers and 357 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:25,160 sisters, He wins it all. Psalm 2 The father says, Oh 358 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,040 actually the son says, I will tell of the decree of the Lord. 359 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:33,640 The Lord said to me, Ask of me and I will make the nation's 360 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,760 your inheritance ask of me and I will give you the nations as 361 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,720 your inheritance. So did Christ ask for the 362 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,200 nations or not? Did he ask for it and was he 363 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:45,440 given it? The answer is yes, he is. 364 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:49,240 This is the riches of his inheritance in the Saints. 365 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:54,160 Trey Trey pray when when Christ gave his Great Commission, he 366 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:59,160 gave it to 11 guys. Texas knew nothing of the light 367 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,440 of Christ and yet here we are calling upon him as the Lord. 368 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:04,760 He is in the process of making this reality. 369 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,920 Thirdly, what what Paul wants us to know is the immeasurable 370 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:14,200 greatness of his power toward us who believe the immeasurable 371 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,360 greatness of his power toward us who believe. 372 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,200 So, so many of us really think that the power of God is really 373 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:28,160 not ours. We know he is powerful, of 374 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,080 course, like he's gone, he can do anything. 375 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:35,680 But we don't know that in Christ God has been has his intent on 376 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:40,440 pouring his power in and to and through us to the world. 377 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:46,600 So he says Paul uses this word, the immeasurable greatness of 378 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,400 his power, immeasurable greatness who pair ball on is 379 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,240 the is the Greek who pair who pair ball on. 380 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,960 It means to be able to throw exceedingly much farther than 381 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,200 you need to. So all of the men in the church 382 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,880 get together and we get a 50 LB boulder and we all throw it as 383 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,120 far as we can and we're all within 510 foot of each other. 384 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:09,480 But whoever's farthest out, we say, man, he's the strongest guy 385 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,840 in the church. And then Christ comes and takes 386 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,200 the same rock and throws it 5000 yards. 387 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:19,600 That's Hooper ball on. It's so much more powerful than 388 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:23,640 anything that you need there. We, we worship a God, brothers 389 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,400 and sisters, that has no degree of difficulty. 390 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:31,480 He can, he can cause grass to grow. 391 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:33,800 He can cause oceans to calm down. 392 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,320 He can do anything he wants to do. 393 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,480 He has far beyond sufficient strength to do all that he 394 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,920 pleases. And what he pleases to do is to 395 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,000 reconcile people and nations to himself. 396 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,080 This is the greatness of his power toward us who believe. 397 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,800 OK, God's power. Listen to me. 398 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,520 It's not just there. Paul says. 399 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,480 He wants us to know what is the immeasurable greatness of his 400 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:04,000 power toward us. It's moving towards us. 401 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,960 This is the type of power and then he qualifies it by several 402 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,480 statements. I'm going to read this and then 403 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,800 and then call your attention. He says the immeasurable 404 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,760 greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the 405 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,080 working of His great might, that He worked in Christ when he, and 406 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,160 if you write in your Bible, circle these phrases. 407 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,720 When He raised him from the dead, when He circled this 408 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,200 seated him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above 409 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,120 all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every 410 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:36,080 name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to 411 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:38,840 come. And then He circled this, put 412 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:43,560 all things under his feet, and lastly gave Him His head over 413 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,520 all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him 414 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,960 who fills All in all. First of all, this is this power 415 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:55,040 that we would know the power of God, but in Christ is moving 416 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:57,960 towards us. This is power that first of all 417 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:02,040 raised Christ from the dead. Think about this death is the 418 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:05,360 period at the end of the sentence of every man's life. 419 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,200 It's coming for you. We we talk about this all the 420 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,840 time of like something's got to kill you, so you might as well 421 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,880 smoke and drink. I mean something is coming for 422 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:15,680 you. You're going to get it. 423 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,680 And that's the period at the end of all you read the Old 424 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:25,480 Testament and it's the it's the most the most sobering and 425 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,640 depressing. So and so had this many kids and 426 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:33,160 he died and he died and he died and he died and he died. 427 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,240 Everybody dies. And that's the period at the end 428 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:42,080 of every sentence until the power of God said, but not you. 429 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:44,720 And he raised Jesus from the dead. 430 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,800 And instead of a period at the end of Jesus's life and 431 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:53,320 ministry, God turns it into a comma and a run on sentence that 432 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:57,520 never ends. And because of that, you and I 433 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:59,160 experienced the same thing again. 434 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:03,200 He is raised as the first fruits from the dead. 435 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,440 And in the hope of the redemption of our bodies, we 436 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,520 were saved. So brothers, Christ put a death 437 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:13,600 sentence on death itself. It's gone, it's dead, and it has 438 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,320 no sting. And one day He's going to 439 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,120 overturn it all together that we would know the greatness of his 440 00:27:19,120 --> 00:27:21,560 power toward us. And this is power that seated 441 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,720 Christ at the right hand of of God. 442 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,920 This is amazing, right? Jesus comes into the world and 443 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,760 everybody that matters rejected him. 444 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:36,520 And then God in response, in response to all that says, oh, 445 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:38,920 that's interesting. Well, I'm going to make him Lord 446 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,880 of everything. Suck on that. 447 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:44,640 Like I don't care what you think. 448 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:46,320 I don't care if you vote for him. 449 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:50,000 I don't care if you're excited about that, if you hate that God 450 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:55,360 has made him Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified, 451 00:27:55,760 --> 00:28:00,360 that Jesus said in his resurrection, all authority has 452 00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:04,560 been given to me. He has been seated at the right 453 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,520 hand of the majesty on high. Brothers, that is immeasurable 454 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,720 greatness in power. And that power is towards us 455 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:16,560 that the entirety of the world can say no God, we don't want 456 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:18,920 that. And God can say, I don't care, 457 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,280 I'm doing it anyway because I have the power and I have the 458 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:26,200 authority to do that. Paul says this immeasurable 459 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:30,800 greatness of God's power also put all things under the feet of 460 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:34,080 Christ. So prior to the cross, prior to 461 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,800 the resurrection, prior to the ascension of Christ, the 462 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,440 accusations of Satan actually had a point. 463 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,120 So we're told him in Revelation, we're given a snapshot of when 464 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,080 Satan was cast down. And before that the text says 465 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:58,880 that he he accuses the brethren day and night, right? 466 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:02,320 So and, and, and before the cross and the resurrection and 467 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,680 the ascension of Christ, he had a really great point because he 468 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,080 could hold up the law of God summarized in 10 moral 469 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,800 statements, which are summarized in two moral statements. 470 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,280 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and 471 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,120 strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. 472 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:19,080 And so day and night, every day of my life, Satan could have 473 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:24,240 stood before Almighty God, who is my judge, and said, God, this 474 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,600 is your standard and this is what he's done. 475 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,480 He deserves to die. And Satan would have been 476 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,080 correct because I've done all those things. 477 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,040 I have not loved the Lord. I have not loved my neighbor as 478 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,320 myself. We were prior to the cross, 479 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:45,280 resurrection and ascension, we were the rightful prey of death 480 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:48,840 because we had violated the will and the standard of God. 481 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:53,640 And we must always have stood silent before the truth of the 482 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:58,280 accusation that even though God said be perfect as your Father 483 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,040 in heaven is perfect, all of us have to say we can't. 484 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:02,760 We haven't. We're we're done. 485 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:09,040 But now Christ disarmed Satan by canceling the record of debt 486 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,600 which stood contrary to us. Satan has been cast down. 487 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,640 He no longer has any accusations or charges that can stick. 488 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:20,280 They may stick in your mind and in mind because we're weak that 489 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:23,400 way, that sometimes we think that even though God has 490 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,960 pardoned us, that there's there's lingering sins or 491 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,040 feeling of guilt and shame. Listen to me. 492 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,480 Maybe that's your tender conscience. 493 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:36,040 Maybe that's the enemy, you're the devil, but that's not true. 494 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,480 When Christ forgives you, he really forgives you. 495 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:43,520 And so that's not, it's not as though God shares your sort of 496 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:47,920 vacillation of maybe, maybe you're guilty, or maybe you're 497 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:51,560 innocent. Christ died for you to justify 498 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:54,960 you, and he silenced forever the enemy. 499 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,480 They may stick in our minds, but they will never stick in the 500 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:03,240 mind of our Father because our Father sees before him every 501 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:09,000 moment of life, the Son who by 1 sacrifice made purification for 502 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,520 sin for all time and for his people. 503 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,840 It's it's, it's just marvelous that no matter what the 504 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:23,640 accusation is that Christ, your advocate stands with the Father 505 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:27,720 is seated with the Father saying, I know he did that, but 506 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,800 I died for him and so let him off the hook. 507 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:34,680 And God says, yes, I will. All authority has now been given 508 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:37,640 to him. He expressly governs the Word, 509 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,120 the world by His Word and providential lordship, leading 510 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,680 all things to the end that He has prepared for them. 511 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,040 Listen to me, It's a common misnomer. 512 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:47,880 Satan is called the God of this world. 513 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,760 We we think he is the reigning God of this world and that the 514 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:54,160 ascension means the Kingdom was put on ice and one day Christ 515 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:56,160 will come back to rule. But he really has nothing 516 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:57,640 whatsoever to do with this world today. 517 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,800 No, Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. 518 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:07,120 When he wants to bring an end to this world, brothers and 519 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,520 sisters, He will ask the permission of precisely no one, 520 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,840 nobody. Right when I want to, when I 521 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,200 want to go to the grocery store, I have to ask permission of the 522 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,040 bank. Like do do I have enough in 523 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:19,200 there to go to the grocery store? 524 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:21,040 If I want to buy a house, I could ask permission. 525 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,120 Hey, can I borrow this much money? 526 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,240 If can I eat this thing? Can I do? 527 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,160 Like we are permission people, we have to ask permission. 528 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,440 When Jesus wants to wrap the thing up, he will ask him. 529 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,960 Nobody's finished him because he is absolute Lord. 530 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:40,440 We are told that he gave him. So the last thing, this 531 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:44,440 immeasurable greatness of God's power that's toward us that Paul 532 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:47,600 wants us to know, it's power that raised him from the dead, 533 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,960 that seated him in his right hand, that put all things under 534 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:54,520 his feet. And lastly, that gave him this 535 00:32:54,520 --> 00:33:01,760 power gives Christ as a gift, as head over all things given to 536 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:05,720 the church. Brothers and sisters, you have 537 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:12,640 not been given a cosmic doormat as a savior, the gentle, meek 538 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:16,120 and mild Christ who just lays down no matter what people want 539 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:19,800 to do to him. We have been given a Christ who 540 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,800 is the head over all things. Whether all things acknowledge 541 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:27,760 him yet or not does not matter. He is the head of all things. 542 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:31,360 And we are told repeatedly he must reign until he has made his 543 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,160 enemies a footstool for his feet. 544 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:37,720 And he is in process of doing that with with us former enemies 545 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:42,760 that through conversion have now become his, his glad footstool, 546 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,600 his servants. This type of power, brothers and 547 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:51,240 sisters in the ascension of Christ, just just believe this 548 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:54,880 and live like this is the case. This is the power that is 549 00:33:54,880 --> 00:34:00,240 towards you in grace, that is towards you in Christ, because 550 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,880 Christ is seated as our covenant head upon the throne. 551 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:08,360 So armed with hope and a rich inheritance in the Saints and 552 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,199 with absolute authority, Jesus Christ now summons you, his 553 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:15,960 people, to his table. This bread is his body broken 554 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,280 for you. This wine is His bloodshed for 555 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:22,440 the forgiveness of your sin. Christ intended to provide for 556 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,840 your full pardon, and He has accomplished what he what he 557 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,520 intended. This is what He came to do, and 558 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:31,239 this is what He did, and so trust it. 559 00:34:32,159 --> 00:34:34,400 He is the Lord of heaven and earth. 560 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,239 He is the great friend and lover of our souls. 561 00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:42,000 He is altogether faithful, and He has so worked on our behalf 562 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,199 that there is not a single accusation that can reasonably 563 00:34:45,199 --> 00:34:50,960 stand against us before God. When you sit in that brother, 564 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,080 sister, nothing, there's no accusation. 565 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:57,520 Who can bring a charge against God's elect when it is God who 566 00:34:57,520 --> 00:34:59,360 justified? Nothing can stand. 567 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:06,040 So you come to his table. You come clear, free from all 568 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,640 guilt, from all sin and all shame, because this is what 569 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:13,640 Christ has commanded. Christ ascended, Christ is 570 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,960 reigning. We are with him in the heavenly 571 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:21,400 places even now at this moment. So come to the Supper of the 572 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:26,080 Lamb, come, welcome to Jesus Christ and we pray. 573 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:32,600 Lord Jesus, we thank you for loving us to this degree. 574 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:38,080 We thank you that you did not just put an end to our sin, but 575 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:46,600 you also ascended into heaven, have been seated at the right 576 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:51,240 hand of God, and from that position you live forever to 577 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:54,200 make intercession for us. You live forever to make good on 578 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:56,880 your promise to send the Holy Spirit to your people. 579 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,880 Jesus, we are desperate, we are desperate. 580 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:08,280 We the sometimes the voice of accusation and the voice of our 581 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:12,560 of our conscience that that still has the sense of remaining 582 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:14,320 guilt. Sometimes, Lord, those things 583 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:16,520 are louder than your gospel in our ears. 584 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:21,160 And so today, Lord, would you in the name of Christ, would you 585 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:26,440 breakthrough and set us free from our condemnation to know 586 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:31,200 that Christ is Lord Father that he is seated at your right hand. 587 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:37,040 He's put an end, He's made an end forever by 1 sacrifice to 588 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:41,480 our sin, and that He has purified us, washed us free and 589 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:47,520 clear, and He can present us now here at the table without spot 590 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:52,040 or blemish or any such thing before the presence of our 591 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:56,160 Father Holy Spirit. Would you come now? 592 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,880 Would you make this table what it means to be for us? 593 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,840 Would you minister to us here? Take up the bread and take up 594 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:04,920 the wine, take up your people and our faith? 595 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:10,160 And would you? Would you give us participation 596 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:12,760 in Christ today as we come to the table? 597 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:15,880 But we trust you for these things, and we ask them in 598 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:17,280 Christ. Amen.