Why the Ascension Changes Everything | Acts 1:1-11 - Dallas Herndon

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the holy spirit. Then they gathered around him and asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, it is not for you to know the times and dates the father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power.

Look at your neighbor and say power when the holy spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid them from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you've seen him go into heaven.

My friends, this is the word of the lord. Amen? Amen. I wanna show you a picture. It's, let's see if we're there it is.

Today, we are going to be focusing on what is known as the ascension of Jesus. Keaton already hit on it this morning. And this is an art. This is a picture of some artist's rendition of what the Ascension might be with the apostles down below, looking him up going going into the skies as Jesus is surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. You know, last week and over the past six weeks, we celebrated the cross and we love the cross, amen?

Right? If it wasn't for the cross, we would be very lost, right? And we also celebrate the resurrection. We celebrated the empty tomb of Jesus and that is one of the most pivotal points of human history. Everything changed on that day.

But there's another moment after the resurrection that we often skip and that is the Ascension. We usually talk about the resurrection. Jesus kind of floats up and then we talk about the day of Pentecost because we're Pentecostals and we love getting to Acts chapter two and having tongues of fire dance on our heads. It's a wonderful thing. But we're missing a very large aspect of Christian doctrine which is the Ascension.

NT Wright says, it's probably the most overlooked doctrine in the modern church. Cause we think about all these things really well. What the crucifixion accomplished? What the resurrection accomplished? And then we just kind of brush right past it not understanding the significance.

And the Ascension actually functions a lot like a presidential election. It might sound weird. I remember in 2008, very specifically, I was in fifth grade at GW Carver in Salem, Virginia. And I remember on this particular day, we were gathered around. This was actually, I guess, January 2009 at this point.

We were gathered around in our classroom. Everybody had T shirts on because this was going to be the day of Barack Obama's inauguration. And I remember so specifically, it was a big deal. He was the first African American president and it was a big deal and and I had never really paid attention to politics or the presidents but for some reason, that memory really stuck in my mind is as he is inaugurated as the president of The United States. But his inauguration only happened because of what happened a few months earlier, right?

He he won election versus versus John McCain and that was in November. So, that was the election. That's when he won the election, right? But at that point, he wasn't the president yet. It was only when he was inaugurated, when he became the president and took power and got to work.

Now, no other further comments on the presidential's things but but I remember the inauguration very specifically that day. And then that goes with any presidential inauguration and what that means is the election night says that, hey, we won. Inauguration day says we get to work. It's time to get to work, right? And that's much so what the ascension is about.

And Jesus', resurrection, he deals with death, his death burial and resurrection accomplishes all the work that needs to be accomplished and so the election is won. But when he ascends to the right hand of the father right here at the end of Luke and at the beginning of acts, this is the inauguration day when he is coronated as king and he gets to work as the ruling and reigning king of the universe. This is inauguration day. And now, in the church calendar, technically the ascension is a little bit further from now. It's about thirty days from now because here in about forty days, we are going to celebrate the day of Pentecost which is our birthday and I'm gonna make sure I bring out the birthday hats again this year as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday.

It's a great day. But before we get to Pentecost Sunday, we have to deal with the ascension of Jesus Christ and I do believe after you leave today, you're gonna have a new revelation about why the ascension matters so much. Not just what happened then but what matters in your life from day to day. It's a big deal. Alright?

So, let's look at it. So in Acts chapter one, what's going on? Jesus is having some time left on earth. Jesus raises from the dead and for forty more days in his resurrected body, Jesus spends time with his disciples. I love what first Corinthians 15 says.

It says that he can, he presented himself to over 500 different believers in that time. So there's hundreds of people who have literally seen the resurrected Lord who still has those marks in his wrist and his ankles. He's alive in a real resurrected body. And and you know it's a real resurrected body because of what acts chapter one says. What does he say?

It says, it says, on one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave this command. Jesus still eating. Jesus is still eating bread. He has a real physical resurrected body and Jesus loves a good piece of fish and bread. He's still eating because he's in a real body.

Not just a spiritual resurrection. He literally raised from the dead and that's how we're going to be one day by the way. We're not just going to be of spiritually raised from the dead. The body, this body that my mom has right here, it's going to be raised from the dead and resurrected and resurrection power. You won't have any more knee pain.

Praise god. Come on, right? Like, it's not just a spiritual resurrection. It's a physical bodily resurrection and we will get to live here on heaven on earth when god makes all things new. It's going to be a beautiful thing and Jesus is the first born resurrected from the dead and he's resurrected from the dead and he's having a few conversations with his disciples and this is when he's getting ready to leave for good.

He's having these conversations and they're not real happy. They're confused. He gives some final instructions. He says, wait into Jerusalem and you'll be endued with power from on high and then, Jesus also tells them later in that scripture because they're asking questions, hey, are we gonna set up our political power now? Like are we gonna be your cabinet right now?

And Jesus says, it's none of your business. You don't know the times or the dates but this is what you need to focus on. You will be my witnesses. You will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you. And at that my friends, he literally just goes up.

I love how Luke says it. Luke says, as he was blessing them, he was being ascended into the skies and this is like a balloon, a literal balloon. He's ballooning into the sky and then he disappears and they're all standing there like, What? That's it? Our best friend's gone.

Physical body just went up into the sky. Not like spiritual poof but now Jesus is up in the heavens. He's gone. And they're confused. And then there was suddenly two men dressed in white probably angels and they're like why are you looking up?

You need to do what he said to do. He's gonna come back just as the way he went. Don't worry about it. So what acts chapter one is presenting us is the whole, narrative of the ascension But what we're not getting in this story is what is being accomplished on heaven side. On earth side, we see our best friend leaving.

Because remember if you look back in the book of John, the disciples are really sad that Jesus is leaving. Remember? Jesus says it's better for me to go so that the holy spirit would come and they're like, no, no, no, no. We want you here. We love you.

You are Lord, you're our best friend, please don't leave. And so from the earth's side, Jesus has left but from heaven's side, my friends, something else is transpiring and I wanna tell you about it this morning. In the book of Daniel, which is a great book, not just because my name, my first name is Daniel. It's a great book in the Bible. In Daniel chapter seven, Daniel prophetically sees this picture.

I'm gonna read to you six hundred years before it ever happened. Let me read Daniel seven thirteen and fourteen through you to you. It says, in my vision, this is Daniel speaking. In my vision, at night I looked and there before me was one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the ancient of days and was led into his presence.

He was given authority, glory, sovereign power, all nations, and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Six hundred years before Daniel prophetically sees the ascension from heaven's side. He sees one like a son of man going up into the clouds and presenting himself to the ancient of days which is another way to say the father. And from heaven's point of view, something a big deal is happening.

There's one who's like a man approaching God and he receives all glory and dominion over all things. And you're like, this is a big deal and then, when you pair that with the famous chapter in the book of Revelation, Revelation chapter five, we get this throne room scene and you look at these two pictures together, you get another picture of what's happening. In Revelation chapter five, let me read six through 14 to you. I want you to just sit with this with me. Revelation five sixteen and fourteen.

John says this, and right before this, John is also weeping because there was no one found worthy to open the scroll. But in verse six, everything changes. Then he says, then I saw a lamb looking as if if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense where the prayers of god's people and they sang a new song saying, you are worthy to take the scroll to open its seals because you were slain and with your blood, you purchased for god persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our god and they will reign on the earth. Then, I looked up and I heard the voice of many angels numbering thousands upon thousands and 10,000 times 10,000. I encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders and a loud voice, they were saying, worthy is the lamb who was slain.

To receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever. The four living creatures said, amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped. Wow.

Daniel sees like a son of man ascending to the throne. John seven hundred years later in the prophetic vision sees what it was like when Jesus, the bloodied lamb presented himself before God. Like a lamb who had just been slain. The Greek is probably better rendered as freshly slain. And the lamb of God's approaching the throne and he's found worthy and at that he receives all things.

That's why Jesus says, all the authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Jesus receives the reward of his suffering which is the throne. He sits enthroned. Jesus of Nazareth. I love how Keaton said it a few months ago when he preached in November.

He said, the cross is important. He said, the empty tomb is important but the throne is important because that's where he's at right now. So the ascension is when Jesus goes up and takes his rightful place on the throne. And when I say on the throne, I don't think you believe me. Because when I say on the throne, you probably think of some old English king on his literal throne, right, in England.

And you're like, well, if Jesus is on his throne then why is all this stuff happening in the world? Why is my son going through this? Why is my friend sick? Why am I not seeing breakthrough in my life? Why is the money funny?

If Jesus is really on the throne then why is the world the way it is? And we think maybe this throne's metaphorical. No, my friends. He is literally ruling and reigning over the whole universe right now. And because he's seated on the throne, because he was found worthy, because he was resurrected and sended to the father, there's a few very important things that transpire in our lives because of what he has done and what he is doing.

And let me give them to you right now. So why is this so significant? Number one, if you're taking notes, he presented himself as a perfect sacrifice. Since Jesus took on the sins of humanity in his death and overcame death when god raised him from the dead. When he goes before the father in heaven, he presents his sacrifice to god and received as a worthy sacrifice.

In the old testament, the Jews when they would sin, they had to make a specific sacrifice pertaining based on what sin it is. You could maybe have to murder a bull and you would have to give that and that would atone for your sin. Maybe it was a turtle dove or maybe it was a grain offering but as Hebrews says, once and for all, Jesus who is the lamb of God who had no sin took upon all the sins of the world. And when he ascends to the father, he presents himself as the perfect and holy sacrifice. So that there doesn't have to be blood of bulls and goats anymore.

You don't have to kill your animals. Jesus has become the one sacrifice forever. And why that's so significant? Because when you believe in Christ, when you trust in what he's done and who he is, dream but when you sin, do you know what happens? Say dream of sins. Let's say she gets mad at Kenny which would never happen, right? Let's say she sins, right? And you say, Jesus, I've sinned. Can you forgive me? Am I sin?

What happens is Jesus is up there and he's looking at the father like, look at me. Dream his name is on me and she's covered with my blood. It's covered. All the sins are covered because he has presented himself as a holy and blameless sacrifice. Past sins, present, future, they're all covered because Jesus presents himself as a holy and perfect blameless sacrifice.

That's why you can have a relationship with God. That's why you have the assurance of salvation and being with God forever because he has presented himself as the sacrifice that we needed. And that's why the ascension is so important. He presents himself to the father and says, the work is done. And every time you sin, the father looks at his son and is reminded it's covered.

He bore it in his body for them. He, he alone presented himself as the perfect sacrifice. Another thing that Jesus is doing, again, number two, if you're taking notes is that he intercedes for us. Read this with me in Romans. Romans eight thirty four says this, who then is the one who condemns?

No one. Christ Jesus who died, more than that who was raised to life is at the right hand of god and is also interceding for us. You know, I really appreciate over the years the amount of praying this church has done. As I reflect on how faithful our church has been, one of the things that has distinguished our church is prayer. We've been a people of prayer for a long time.

And many of you all here could just tell me story after story of prayers answered after hours of intercession. Right? Intercession. And when we were doing our prayer series a few months ago, we talked about intercession is one of the ways that we talk to God. We petition him and we intercede for others.

My mom's going through something. I can pray for her. I can intercede for her and that prayer for her goes up to heaven. And sometimes I've heard people said, they'll get all sad. They'll say, you know what? No one's praying for me. No one prays for me, Matt. Woe is me. If no human's praying for you on this side of the earth, there is one who is in heaven, who is interceding for us. We think Jesus is up there eating grapes and just relaxing and having a good time and just chilling.

No. He's up there at the right hand of God, the bloodied lamb of God doing what? Interceding for us. Jesus is praying for you, for your son, for all the needs and all the pains of this world. He is interceding.

Jesus is praying for you. And we don't get that if he doesn't ascend to the father. He's praying for us. That's why I love what it says in Luke twenty two and thirty one and thirty two. This is when Jesus tells Simon Peter, hey, Satan has requested that I sift you like wheat but don't worry, I prayed for you.

He prayed for Peter that he wouldn't fall into Satan's hands just as Judas fell into Satan's hands. And right now in the throne room, he's praying for you. If you belong to him, if you're covered by his blood, if you celebrate the resurrection, you celebrate the cross, he's interceding for you right now, Lisa. So never say, no one prays for me. Jesus is praying for you right now.

He sees all the needs in your life and he's praying that the father's will would be done. He's praying for you. The third thing that Jesus is doing is this, he's preparing what's coming. He's preparing what's coming. John fourteen one through four. Jesus is having this conversation in the upper room and he's telling them, hey, I'm about to go away. I'm going to go what? Prepare a place for you. And this is when we talk about that Jesus is up in heaven doing what? Getting our mansions ready.

Right? I don't know about you but because the way our kids are right now, sometimes we can just pop the twins in the minivan and we can just drive around the city and they'll sleep for a couple hours. And what Emily and I like to do is we like to get a cup of coffee and we get like to go look at some of the most beautiful houses in Roanoke and Roanoke's full of beautiful houses. And we're like, that's a nice one. Well, that's a nice one.

Oh, that would be fun to live in that one. I can't afford the mortgage but that would be nice, right? And what is Jesus doing for us? He's preparing a place for us. He's not only presented himself as the holy sacrifice, he's not only interceding for us, I can't even wrap my head around that.

He's preparing a place for us. What a good husband preparing a wonderful thing for his bride which is the church. And there's coming a day my friends when the marriage supper of the lamb is going to come and Jesus is going to descend back onto the earth just as he ascended and he's bringing all the things with him. He's preparing a place for us to dwell with him forever. Ladies, probably you probably love it when your husband or if you've or you're a widow, you probably love when your husband would build stuff for you or do some yard work for you, right?

Jesus is preparing stuff for us right now. He's preparing a place for us so that we can be with him forever. Now do I know what it looks like? No. Is it how big is it gonna be? What square footage? I don't know but he's preparing a place for us so that we can get to be with him in the most glorious way possible forever. He's not lazy. He's a carpenter if you remember. He's working and building and readying himself and readying something for us when he returns.

He's preparing a place for us. He's preparing for what is coming. The fourth thing that he does is he's sending the holy spirit. He's sending the holy spirit. He sends the holy spirit. Jesus in John chapter 14 again during one of the last conversations with the disciples. He's telling them that he's going to leave soon but that they should not be fearful. Look at your neighbor and say fearful. Don't do it. He says, don't be fearful because I'm leaving but there's another one like me coming.

There's another one coming after me who's going to be with you. John sixteen seven says this, very truly I tell you, it is good for you that I am going away. Let's pause there before we even read the second sentence. It is good for you that I am going away. Raise your hand if you believe that. Then I'm the only one that's honest this morning. If Jesus is standing in front of me and he says, it's good that I go away. I'm like, liar. You are you serious, Jesus? It's better for you to leave?

I have you right here. You're right here in front of me flesh and bone and you're telling me it's better for you to leave? And this is why the disciples are like, no. No. No. We don't believe this. What do you mean you're going to leave? It's better? Are you serious? But Jesus, who's the truth says, it is good for you that I'm going away.

Why? Unless I go away, the advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. The advocate is another way to say the holy spirit. And he's saying, it's better that I go because if I go, I can send the holy spirit. Because Jesus, remember this is hard for us to understand. Jesus is fully God. Yes. But he's also fully man. And because he did that, he can only seemingly be in one place at one time.

Now, there's a whole dimension to space and stuff I don't understand but Jesus is in a physical body and Jesus saying, look, if I go, I can be with you through the power and the presence of the holy spirit. Not only to you but to believers all over this earth simultaneously at the same time and it's better for you that I go because if I leave, you not only get the holy spirit, the holy spirit gets inside of you And that's what we celebrate in acts chapter two. That's what they were waiting on in acts chapter one. He says, hey, go wait into Jerusalem until what? The advocate comes.

The holy spirit comes and empowers you to be witnesses for me. He's going so that he can send the holy spirit to us. And again, the presence of the holy spirit does not mean the absence of Jesus, but the holy spirit is here and in those who trust in Jesus. And Jesus is able to minister and lead and communicate through the holy spirit and he's saying, look, it's better that I go and number five, that's not enough what Ascension accomplishes. He's doing this and this is kinda just wraps it all together.

Keaton, you can come up. My friends, he is ruling and reigning right now. He's presented himself as the holy sacrifice, Debbie. He's preparing a place for us. Jeff, he is interceding for us right now.

He sinned and he sent and sends the holy spirit to us and all that altogether he is ruling and reigning. Jesus is the king of it all. He sits enthroned and so whatever problem this world has, it's going to be Jesus, it's under his rule and reign and he's going to deal with it. He is the real owner and authoritarian on this earth and he's ruling and reigning and that's why we must take heed to his words that he gave his disciples. Let's read Acts one seven through eight again because he's ruling and reigning because he has been coronated as king because of all these things, we can do this.

Jesus said to them, it is not for you to know the times or dates the father set by his own authority. Jesus saying, look, there's things are gonna happen. It's none of the none of your business and you don't need to worry about it. What you need to worry about is this my friends. But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria into the ends of the earth.

You friends, I think I feel this thing after Easter, you're kinda tired. It's kinda like Christmas. After Christmas, you kinda feel tired. This is a big holiday. And a lot of the times in the church, Easter is kinda like the Super Bowl and you hit the Super Bowl and you kinda wanna just relax and my friends, because of what happened on Easter is the time to get to work.

This is the time because we are going to receive power to be empowered witnesses into the earth. The ascension is what begins to turn the tide. Death, burial and resurrection accomplishes the work that needs to be done but the ascension of Jesus Christ is the inauguration that sets him as king and sets forth the kingdom of God coming to this earth. And so to bring it all together, the ascension means this, that Jesus is not absent, Jesus is reigning, Jesus is working, and Jesus is with you. He's with us.

He didn't just leave us. He didn't leave us as orphans. He's still with us through the power and presence of the holy spirit. And he's still ruling and reigning even though it doesn't feel like it in all those areas. He's praying for us above it all.

So we have to stop. We have to stop living like Jesus is gone. We have to stop living like Jesus is passive or stop living like Jesus is distant. My friends, even though you go through hard things in life, even though we're gonna suffer more and more and more unlikely, he's not gone. He's not absent. He is right here with us. He is right here with you. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, the shepherd is with us. And so we don't have to say that where's Jesus? What's going on?

What's gonna happen? He's ruling and reigning. The dates and the times and all the things are gonna get worked out. He's gonna bring justice but what we have to focus on is loving him and being his empowered witnesses here on the earth. Because you can just get your eyes fixed on heaven and be just sad. When's he coming back? He said I'm coming back but until I come back, occupy the territory. We are watching Narnia. Has anybody ever seen Narnia? Goodness, I love Narnia.

We're watching the very last scene of Narnia and King Peter's having this battle with the white witch and he's losing. He's he's really He's not doing very well. And he's getting ready to get killed by the white witch who is the essence of the devil or the Satan. And right before he's getting ready to get killed, all of a sudden you see the glorious lion on the horizon who roars and then runs down the hill and takes care of the white witch. Simi said, what happened to her?

And I was like, well, she died. So Right? My friends, we might struggle. It might be hard but all we have to do is occupy the territory. Be empowered witnesses because of what his resurrection has done. He's the ascended king. Now we occupy the territory. We do the work we can until he returns. He is the ruling and reigning king. So we must start living like Jesus is actually the king.

We must start praying like Jesus as actually the king. We must act like Jesus is active in the world and we must actually believe that Jesus is present. Because Jesus didn't just rise from the dead, he reigns above it all. Stand with me this morning. He is the ascended king who has received all power and honor and glory and dominion.

In this morning, as you fix your hearts and your eyes on him, I'm convinced most of the problems that we have are because we don't fix our eyes on him. But this morning, fix your eyes on him. Fix your eyes on the bloodied lamb who was slain, but who is now sitting in the throne. And since he has all power and all authority, I believe even this morning, if you have a need that you need Jesus to rule and reign over, we wanna pray for you this morning. I believe and I confess that Jesus is the king of the world and the ruler of all things.

And in his name, all things are possible. Jesus says, if you have the faith of a mustard seed, look at the mountain. It will be pulled up and thrown into the sea. And I wanna pray the prayer of faith for you today. If you have a need, if you need the ascended Jesus to come and touch you today, we wanna pray and we wanna ask and we want to see heaven come down right now.

So as Keaton leads us in worship, if you need prayer, please don't hesitate, come up right now. And if you can't get out of your seat because of whatever it is, raise your hand, we will come pray for you. And if you don't have a need, what I want you to do is I want you to fix your eyes on the ascended king who is ruling and reigning.