The Savior Goes Home

And trombone playing behind me this morning. I enjoyed that. I failed to mention Dorla a few minutes ago. The families are headed back to Pennsylvania and Al came up reminded me that I didn't know you were leave. Did you tell me you were leaving last week, this week?

I don't think you knew quite yet. No, I didn't know. Okay. Good. Alright.

Well, I didn't forget but wonderful. Glad my memory. I haven't lost it completely yet but miss Dorla is from Ontario and she spends several months with us each winter and it's been good to have her down here. She sold her place though. So, I hope she finds another one to get back down here again because we will miss her greatly if she can't come.

She's been a definite blessing to our church and and we hope that we have to her also. So, have a good trip and I hope to see you again. I know I'll see you up there but I hope to see you down here again as well. Alright. Mark chapter 16 and verses nineteen and twenty.

So, as you can see, we're nearing the end of Mark. As I said, I'm going to go back and hit some verses on end times after Mother's Day next week. The verse 19, Mark 16, then, so then after the Lord had spoken unto them, that is primarily his disciples. He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God and they went forth and declared and they went forth and preached everywhere. The Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following.

Amen. This this ends the book of Mark and this is how he concludes his gospel. Certainly doesn't conclude the story because the story is still going on today but we're going to focus on on this passage this morning particularly as Jesus returns to his home in heaven. So, the title this morning, the savior goes home. Christ, life did not begin in a manger.

Christ is the eternal God, the eternal son of God and he came from heaven and he went back to heaven and one day, he is coming to take us home to be with him. If you take your Bibles, turn from Mark over to John chapter 14. John chapter 14. We'll read some verses there from John 14 in just a moment. As I I mentioned David being home, we we just went to BJU this weekend, left early Friday morning, drove up to Greenville.

It's about a ten hour drive through David's stuff in the back of the van. Thankfully, he already was all ready to go. Drove back to Macon, Georgia, stayed there overnight with some friends of ours and then drove back down here for Macon yesterday and so it was a whirlwind trip. It was long but it was short and but it was also good and we we had a good time and glad to have David back for a while. So, David knew when he went to Bob Jones back in the fall that he would be returning home as as he did and he knows as he returns home that about three months or so, the plan is that he's going back to college again.

Christ came to Earth for a purpose. What was that purpose? To seek and to save that which was lost. Thank you, Steve. Perfect.

To seek and to save that which was lost. By dying on the cross and shedding his blood for our sins and rising again from the dead. He came for a purpose knowing that when it was fulfilled, he would be returning to the father as he also knows and has declared that one day, he will return to Earth once again. He prepared his disciples for this inevitability on several occasions. Most of which are recorded in the book of John.

So, we're kind of using Mark in that verse 19 about Christ's ascension back to heaven as our jumping off point and we're going to look in the book of John and some other places and how this connects to some very important things to us as God's children. We're going start in John chapter 14 verses one through three. Jesus says, let not your heart be troubled. Why did he say that? Because he knew their hearts were troubled.

Over some things he had been telling them. He had been telling them he was going to go to the cross and die. He also told them he would rise again but they I don't think they heard that. They just heard the die part. He told them that he was going to go back to the father and that troubled them also.

So, he said, let not your heart be troubled. Do 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 unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. John fourteen one to three. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for your word today. The precious promises that we find therein.

Lord, all connected to your resurrection and your ascension. Lord, we thank you that as we pray here this morning that you are interceding in our behalf, the right hand of the father on high and that we can know that our prayers as your children are being heard and answered according to your will. We thank you Lord for your invitation to come boldly before the throne of grace that we might receive help in time of need. Lord, we thank you and praise you today and we pray Lord that in this service, you might be magnified and that the holy spirit would take the word of God and use it as the sword of the spirit to change our hearts and our lives to give us hope, to give us faith, to give us peace and joy that passes all understanding. In Jesus name, we do pray.

Amen. Amen. You see, Jesus departure to heaven should not have come as a shock or surprise to his disciples because he had been preparing them all along for his return to heaven. In John chapter 13 verse one, just a chapter earlier, it says, now, before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Notice the depart part of that that he should depart out of this world unto his father.

John 14 and verse 12, verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do, he shall do also and greater works than these shall he do because I what? I go unto my father. John 16 and verse seven. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient or beneficial for you that I want, that I go away.

For if I go not away, the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. Jesus left no doubts of his intentions to his disciples. He was going to die on the cross. He would rise again on the third day and he was going to depart to go back to be with the father.

Sometimes, as I mentioned, it seemed that they weren't listening or at least they were not comprehending. They lacked a little trust and faith in the Lord and in his word and so when they heard stuff they didn't like, they tended to to close their ears. You know anybody like that today? Maybe in times past, that has been us. We need to be willing to hear and to receive the word of God as is indeed the word of God and not the words of men and I'm reminded in Proverbs three, five, and six.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding. All thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. Trust in the Lord. Trust in his word.

Be willing to receive it and let it direct you on the right path. There are many Christians even at times that struggle with receiving and truly trusting and applying God's word to our lives. I find that some people find this passage hard to follow. Matthew six thirty three, but seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be what? Added.

Added unto you. All these things that the world is obsessed with. The amassing of of of money and material possessions and all of this because they're afraid somewhere the bottom's going to drop out and and they gotta provide and they gotta take care and that is the foremost thing on their mind. Jesus said to his disciples, you trust me first. You seek to please God first.

You love God first. God will help to provide for the other things that you need. I I struggled with that in in college. I felt in high school that the Lord had called me into ministry but I just I wasn't a speaker. I had terrible stage fright.

I I thought to myself, well, you know, if if that doesn't go well, you know, I'm I need something to to to provide, you know. And so, I went into college as a physics major and I love science too and I thought, well, I'm I'm going to go into physics and maybe I'll teach in a Christian school or I'll use my physics somehow for the Lord and and there are people that God calls them, you know, to do that and I'm thankful for those. But that wasn't me. He called me to be a preacher and he called me to be a pastor. But it took me a while, couple years.

The Lord working in my heart and life to finally just give up and trust him and trust in this passage. God said, seek you first the kingdom of God, his righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you. I'm now 49 years old and I've never lacked. The Lord has always taken care of me, taking care of my family. David is got through his first year in college and in pretty good shape financially as far as that goes and the Lord has taken care of us and he takes care of his own.

Particularly, when we're willing to trust him and go where he leads wherever that may be. So, he told his disciples he was going to depart. And we read in Acts chapter one, if you turn to Acts one of that event, okay? Acts chapter one, let's look at a a little more detailed description of his departure than we have in Mark chapter 16. Acts chapter one, we'll begin reading for the moment in verse six.

Acts chapter one verse six. Acts one six, when they, therefore, were come together They asked of him that is Jesus saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel. He said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his own power. But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. When he had spoken these things while they beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said you men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven and here we have God's record of Jesus ascension back to the father just as he said and told his disciples he was going to do. In verse six, we see they first asked this question, will you at this time restore the kingdom? See, they didn't quite get it yet. They weren't thinking again of his departure. They were thinking, okay, he died on the cross.

He rose again from the grave. We are beginning to understand the purpose for which he came. Now, that's taken care of. Now, it's time for the what? It's time for the kingdom.

Are you going to restore the kingdom? That is the kingdom on Earth. Now, Jesus said, essentially said, no. And that's not something which you need to be concerned about. That's not for you to know.

I will take care of it. I will take care of it. Don't worry about it. Just get busy. Just get busy.

About the mission. That I have given to you to take the gospel, to be a witness. For me all around the world. I will give you the enabling power, the Holy Spirit, and he will help you in that task as soon as I get back up to the father. And then, what did he do?

He departed and he went back to be with his father in heaven. As they stood there looking up, he ascended right up into the clouds and he was what? And he was gone. Was he really gone? I mean, entirely gone?

No. He is with us here today. He is where he is here in in spirit and in truth with us as we worship him. The Holy Spirit that he gives us lives inside of our heart. God is here with us today very much so.

We just can't what? We just can't see him but one day, we will. As they were gazing up and Jesus went out of their sight, they just stood there gazing up still. I don't know if they were thinking, is he back down? Is he going to stay up there?

I don't I don't know what was going through their head. I can only imagine but suddenly, these two men in bright apparel appeared before them. Now, I suspect that these two men therefore were probably angels, okay? And and these angels spoke to them and basically told them, get a grip, get your eyes off the clouds. He's not coming back right now, okay?

But he will come back one day in the same manner as he what? As he went up. One day, he is gonna go back as he went up and and that is gonna happen. But for now, you need to get your eyes out of the clouds and you need to start getting your eyes on the task that he has set before you starting with going back to Jerusalem. In Revelation chapter one, it tells us of his return.

Revelation one seven, behold, he that is Jesus cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him even so, amen. Revelation tells us of his return in like manner as he went up and he will return someday. Zechariah 14 also describes it for us. It says there in verse three, then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations. And when he fought as when he fought in the day of battle and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount Of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the West and the Mount Of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West and there shall be a very great valley, half of the mountain shall move toward the north, half of the mountain toward the South.

Jesus will return. He'll return to the Mount Of Olives. Guess where he ascended from? The Mount Of Olives. So, as Jesus said, as these men said, one day, he's going to return to the Mount Of Olives in like fashion as he left to go back to be with his father in heaven.

Praise the Lord. When he went back, when he ascended, as we read there in Acts chapter one, where did he go? Well, he didn't just go up into the sky. You know, he's a little kid wondering talk to a little kid and say, you know, heaven's up there and kids going where up there? I'm looking, you know, looking for it.

You can't see it with a telescope. It's not a place that we can see at this present time with our eyes but nonetheless, we can know that it is there. The God who created this universe has an abode where he dwells. There is a tabernacle there that the tabernacle that Moses built was a a replica of. It's spoken of in Revelation.

One day, that that heaven or part of that heaven will descend to Earth to the new heaven and new Earth. It's called the new what? The new Jerusalem. We read about it in the book of Revelation. Jesus ascended and left Earth and he went back to be with his father.

He sat down at the right hand. It says, there in Mark 16, of the father in heaven. That's a place of of power and it's a place of influence at the right hand of his father. When Christ returned to heaven having shed his blood on for all mankind, he sat down having finished that task at the right hand of the father to intercede on behalf of all those who come to God for salvation through repentance and faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the remission or the forgiveness of sin. And because Jesus is seated there this morning, I have a savior who claims me as his own.

Through whom I have been declared justified or guiltless in the sight of God. Not because I am guiltless in myself. Sadly, I am not. But I have been robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And because of his shed blood, his just, innocent, shed blood on cross, Calvary's cross.

I have been declared guiltless before God in heaven because Jesus is there. Says here in Romans three, being justified freely by his grace to the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God has set forth to be a propitiation or payment through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness, not mine but his for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. I serve a risen savior. He's alive.

He died for me, yes, but he rose again and he's seated at the right hand of the father. I know that he's there and because he's there and because he died, I have been justified in him. I have an intercessor who intercedes for me before the father as I confess my needs and failures before him. Jesus Christ is my high priest. He is my advocate before the throne.

And the sole mediator between God and man. There's one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. In Hebrews chapter seven verse 24, it says, but this man, that is Jesus because he he continueth ever. The high priest in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant to Israel, they they served as as a mediary between God and man so that men could come to worship God through the sacrifices but after a time, what happened to the high priest? They they died and a new high priest would have to be appointed but our high priest lives what?

Forever. Forever. He's forever in heaven at the right hand of the father. We can be assured that he is there and that he isn't going to he isn't going to leave. He isn't going to depart that that wonderful responsibility that he's taken on as my advocate because he lives forever.

My priest, my advocate, my intercessor but this man because he continue with ever hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able to say also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seen ever live it to make intercession for them. First John two one and two, my little children, these things write I unto you that you sin not and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father. Jesus Christ, the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. When I fail today and Satan accuses me before the father in heavens like he did Job and he said, well, yeah.

Look, he only does this for you when you do nice things for him or or look, he failed again. He failed again. He failed again. When I'm accused before my father in heaven, my advocate sits right there at his right hand and says, I've taken care of that. I shed my blood for that.

It's done. Praise God. I have an advocate before my father in heaven. When the accuser comes, I don't have to worry because my savior stands for me. Praise God.

And then I have a representative. I have a representative who represents me as though I were already there. Who has reserved a place in heaven for me when I leave this world myself someday. Ephesians two five to seven. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened, the word quickened means made alive, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace are you saved, and hath raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is seated there.

I am seated there. He is my representative before God in heaven and his presence there assures me that there's a place reserved in heaven for me. I'm happy about that. That brings me hope. That brings me joy.

As it should every believer in Jesus Christ. Praise God. Jesus ascended into heaven where he is my advocate and yours and when he ascended, he sent, we sang a song about just a little while ago, the comforter has come. When he went back to heaven, he didn't leave us comfortless. He sent to us the Holy Spirit as again, he said, he would.

Back to John chapter 16 verse seven. Nevertheless, I tell you truth is expedient or good for you, beneficial for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Jesus said, you look, think of it as a bad thing and I'm going back to heaven but it's a good thing I'm going there. I'm going to be your advocate there but also I'm going to send the comforter and he's not going to just be with you.

Another passage in John tells us, he will be in you and praise God. He has come and he is. In Acts chapter one verses four and five, Jesus said this, and being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem. You know, they may have wanted you chomping at the bit. Okay, went back to heaven.

Okay, here we go. Now, let's go to all the world and no, Jesus said, wait, just, wait just hold your horses just a moment. Go back to Jerusalem because you're going to need help in this task. So, you go back there and you wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, okay? So, verse four again and being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the father which saith he, you have heard of me, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.

And so when Jesus went back to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit few days later, the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost and he comes to live now and and baptize every baptized just simply means to place every believer in Jesus Christ into the family of God, into the body of Christ, and seal us until the day of redemption. Praise God for the spirit that he has given to us. The coming of the spirit in Acts two gives authentification of his ascension to the right hand of the father. How we know Jesus at the right hand of the father Because he sent who? Because he sent the Holy Spirit.

That's right. And we can know he's there. It gives assurance of our adoption into the family of God through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives assurance of our adoption, our standing before God in heaven. Galatians four six and because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father.

The Holy Spirit reassures us that we are the children of who? The children of God. That's right and again, as I mentioned, he has sealed us Ephesians one until the day of redemption. Praise God for his holy spirit and he gives a assistance to his children in the understanding of the scriptures. John sixteen thirteen through 15.

How be it when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth. For he now shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. All things that the father, all things that the father hath are mine, therefore, said I, that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you. The disciples were concerned.

Well, Jesus, you're going back to heaven and and we're going to be without a teacher. Jesus attending the teacher. Anything you would hear from the father or you hear from me, you're going to hear from who? Spirit. The Holy Spirit is going to lead you and guide you into all truth and indeed he gave the words, the revelation that has become the New Testament scriptures to the early apostles that have been recorded for us that we might know God's will for us.

We might know the gospel that we might know of his promises, that we might know of his will, that we might be challenged, comforted, convicted. He's He's given us a spirit to help us to understand those things that he has recorded for us. It says in first Corinthians two, now, we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth but which the holy ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual. It goes on to say that the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit for their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned. There are a lot of people out there that read the Bible that don't understand it because they don't know the author.

But if you're born again, you have the Holy Spirit in living in your life, you know the what? You know the author. He lives in here and the Holy Spirit gives us understanding into the words that he has given. He gives us assistance in understanding the scriptures. He gives us assistance in our struggle with the flesh.

Sunday school, if you're coming, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. He gives assistance to his children in their witness for Christ but you shall receive power after the holy ghost have come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me. Just a few things the Holy Spirit does for me. We could go on. We don't have time.

And finally here this morning, one day, Jesus ascension to heaven assures us that he will what? That he will return. Back to John chapter 14. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe us also in me.

In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not told. 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 unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. Seven years before Jesus returns to the Mount Of Olives, okay?

To claim his rightful place as as king of kings and Lord of lords on the third. Seven years or so before that, he is going to come to take his children home. We call that the rapture, okay? You can read about it in first Thessalonians four. You can read about it in first Corinthians 15 and we'll get to it later on as we go back to look at some end time study here in the next few weeks.

But Jesus said, don't be troubled. One day, I'm going to come back to retrieve you. What he is doing is he's using a metaphor, an illustration from everyday Hebrew life. It's a it's a illustration from betrothal and marriage in Hebrew culture. When one had been betrothed or we would use the word engaged but betrothed is a little more maybe permanent than engagement.

When one was betrothed to a bride, a wife, he would then having been betrothed, depart and he would go back to his hometown. He would prepare a home and provision for his wife to be that he had been betrothed to. And when the preparation had been made, when the provision had been made, and the home was ready, he would go back to where his betrothed was and then he would wed her and he would bring her back to his his home. That is the picture that Jesus is providing here. Yes, he went back to heaven.

Don't be troubled. Don't be concerned. Jesus says, here is what I'm doing. I'm preparing a place for you and just as sure as I'm going to do that, I'm going to come and I'm going to receive you back unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. Question, main question here today is this, do you know him?

Do you have that assurance? He is the only way you can. Have you humbled yourself and repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus Christ? His death on Calvary. His resurrection to life is the only means to salvation.

And eternal life. Have you done that today? I hope you have. If you have, then you're ready. For one day, he's coming.

Praise God. He's coming for me. Is he coming for you? If you're not sure, would you come as we sing of him of invitation this morning? Because I'd love to show you today how you might be saved and know it.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. For the precious promise we read in your word. Thank you for your death, your resurrection, your ascension that you're there in heaven seated at the right hand of the father interceding for us. Lord, that one day, you're going to come back.

Once the time is right, the place is prepared to take us home. Lord, thank you. And Lord, we do pray if there's one here this morning. That is unsure. Lord, I pray that as we we sing the hymn of invitation that they might come.

Lord, help them to let go of the pew, help them to let go of their pride, to their sin, that might hold them back. That they might be safe today and know it. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.