The book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter one. This afternoon, Acts, chapter number one. And we'll begin reading at verse number one, and we'll read down to the verse 12 of the chapter, Acts of the Apostles, chapter one, verse number one. Word of God says, the former treaties have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began, both to do and to teach, unto the day in which he was taken up After that, he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen. To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 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, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days thence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore on 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 ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. He shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then return they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. Let's just once again, let's pray. Loving Father, I freely confess that I need thy help today in the preaching of thy word. I pray that thou wilt assist, not only in the preaching, but then also in the hearing of the word of God. We pray for the help of thy spirit. We rejoice that the Comforter has come. We come, Lord, and we pray Hearts will be instructed and schooled in the things of God. Give us hearts open to thee, wills that are yieldable to the will of God and to the voice of God. And therefore, close us now in with God, lesser waiting souls. Help us, we pray, in every aspect left of this meeting. We pray these are petitions in and through Where does a preacher go to to preach on Resurrection Sunday? Does he go to Gethsemane's garden, that quiet, secluded, sacred spot, within a few hundred yards of the city gates, with the Savior agonized in prayer before his betrayal and his arrest? Does the preacher go to Caiaphas Palace, where the Son of God is placed on trial, on charges of blasphemy and insurrection, Crimes that he did not commit. Does he go to the pavement, known as Gilbatha, where the thorn-crowned Prince of Life stands before the Roman governor to learn of his fate of death by crucifixion? Does he go to Calvary's hillside, the place of a skull where the King of the Jews hangs in open and naked shame as he dies for sin upon the cruel cross? Does he go to the grave, the garden tomb, Gaze into that empty sepulcher with his congregation, and hear those glorious tidings from the angel's lips, he is not here, for he is risen. Well, surprisingly, it is to none of those places, those places so closely connected with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that I want to go this afternoon. And the apostle Paul came to write to the saints in Philippi, He summarized the dual states into which Christ entered as the Redeemer of his elect people. Paul firstly wrote about Christ's state of humiliation there in Philippians 2, verses 6 to 8, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Those words speak to us of the state of Christ. Humiliation. But the Apostle Paul doesn't stay there, but rather God's servant goes on to write about the Saviour's state of exaltation. Wherefore, in light of all that he did upon the cross of Calvary, wherefore God hath highly exalted him, given him an ear that is above every knee, and that At the kneel of Jesus, every knee shall bow of things in heaven, of things on earth, and things under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I don't think that I would be in any way contradicted when I say that preaching at Easter is often focused on Christ's state of humiliation. The garden, the trial, the cross, The tomb is often where we find ourselves on Resurrection Sunday, but today I want us to go, as I've said, beyond these familiar locations, and I want to make our way to the Mount of Olives, for it's there that Jesus Christ, the risen Christ, ascended back to heaven. Sadly, we forget that the ascension of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is as pivotal to the Savior's exaltation as his resurrection and his ascension and his, sorry, his session at the Father's right hand. Speaking of the ascension, one preacher said the following, the greatest of all events in the life of our Lord, the culminating event, the triumphant finale to his life on earth is probably the most neglected life neglected event in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so this afternoon we're going to think about this important yet, this sadly much overlooked event in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in a message that I've simply entitled, The Ascension of Christ. The Ascension of Christ. I want you to know this firstly with me, the prophecy of Christ's ascension. Every aspect of the Savior's earthly life His incarnation, his sufferings on Calvary's tree, his resurrection from the dead were all prophetically spoken of hundreds of years before those events actually took place. Prior to the Lord Jesus Christ ever taking on human flesh, before he was laid in Bethlehem's manger, before he died upon the cross of Calvary, Before he rose again from the dead, the Savior's ascension back to heaven was foretold by the Old Testament Scriptures, verifying that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. Texts that speak of the Savior's ascension back to heaven include those that are found in Psalm 24. Let's turn there, Psalm 24. Psalm 24. This psalm is known as one of the enthronement psalms. Speaks of the Messiah enthroned. Psalm 110 is another enthronement psalm. Psalm 2 is an enthronement psalm. There we see Christ, there we see the Lord Jesus Christ as King, enthroned in all of his glory. And Psalm 24 is one such psalm. Look there at the verse seven first of all. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, He lift up the everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in. Many, many believe that these words reference the return of the Lord Jesus Christ as the mediator back into heaven when he accomplished his work of redemption. And I concur with that line of interpretation. These words refer to the entrance of our Savior, that glorious, triumphant, victorious entrance of Christ in joy as he ascended, and as he returned to the Father, and as he returned to heaven in all of his glorified humanity, the cry went out from those from within the city gates, lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. But I wonder, have you ever wondered why the words of verse seven are repeated, almost word perfect again, in verse number nine. Because you look there again, we have lift up your heads, all ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Have you ever thought why the double repetition? Some would say that it's simply for emphasis' sake. But I believe that these words are repeated because they refer to Christ's double ascension, his double ascension. Let me explain what I mean. While verse seven refers to the Savior's first ascension into heaven after his time on earth, his ministry on earth, after his death upon the cross and after his resurrection, Psalm 24 verse nine refers to his second ascension from earth to heaven when he comes again at the end of time to judge the quick and the dead. Christ is coming again, and we are told that his feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives. This same Jesus, as we read in Acts chapter one, shall so come in like manner. And so Christ, having descended to earth, having taken on human flesh, having lived for us and died for us and rose again, Christ first ascended, and he took up his position at the Father's right hand. But there's coming a day when he's coming again. And at his second coming, he's going to come to earth again, and his feet are going to stand upon the earth. And then he's going to ascend back to heaven. There is a double ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look the difference of response that is given in the psalm, because I believe that then this highlights to us this thought, this double ascension, his first ascension after his death, then his second ascension after he returns to judge the quick and the dead. Notice what it says there in the verse number eight, who is this king of glory? This is the question that is asked. Then we read the words, the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. And then notice the verse number 10, because the question is asked again, who is this King of Glory? But notice that it's different, the answer. This time it is the Lord of Hosts. He is the King of Glory. The difference is subtle, but it is significant. The Son of God's first coming was in great humility. He came and he trod the winepress alone. On behalf of his people, the Son of God engaged with death and hell and Satan, and thank God, triumphed gloriously. In his first ascent, he returned to heaven as the one who showed himself to be mighty in battle. Oh, what a battle he engaged in, in his life and in his death on our behalf. And thus the one that ascends to heaven This is the one who is mighty in battle. This is the one who has come forth from the conquest as the victor and as the conqueror, and thus the answer is given, this one who returns this time, this is the one who is mighty in battle. But who's coming the second time? Well, Christ in his descent to earth is not coming to engage in some battle again, as it were, with regard to redemption. That work is done. That battle has been secured. But Christ is coming to gather his people. He's coming to bring the church. He's coming to gather his bride to be with himself. And thus, in his descent, we're told by Jude that he's going to come with 10,000 of his saints. And those saints are going to accompany the Lord Jesus Christ on his return. And then the dead which are in Christ, they're going to rise. And then eventually, when all things on earth have been completed, Christ is going to return to heaven and he will head this great, and I've termed it, this great caravan of saints. He's going to head up this triumphant entrance, and how is he going to be therefore termed on his second return, as it were, he's going to be termed as the Lord of Hosts. of the Holy Angels and the Saints of all ages in their glorified bodies. Here he comes, oh let the Lord mighty in battle, the battle is won, but this time he comes as the Lord of the hosts. He comes as the one who heads up that glorious trail. here at Psalm 24. Let's turn to Psalm 68. This is another prophetic Psalm concerning, now we're thinking not about the resurrection today, we're thinking about his ascension back to heaven. Psalm 84, sorry, 68, Psalm 68 and the verse number 18. Verse 17, the chariots of God are 20,000, even thousands of angels. The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou has ascended on high. Thou has made captivity captive. Thou has received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord might dwell among them. This is a messianic psalm. And again, here we have this thought of this ascension on high, this leading captivity captive, and this is used by the Apostle Paul. This very reference is used by the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians. So we'll get there at a certain point within the message. Paul quotes this, speaking of the Savior's ascension. This was prophetic and fulfilling. Isaiah 52, just before that great, Isaiah 53, we turn to Isaiah 52, another reference, written 700 years before the coming of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 52 and the verse 13. Jehovah is speaking here. Jehovah is speaking here and he says the following. Isaiah 52 and the verse number 13. Behold, my servants, speaking of Christ, shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted. and extolled, and be very high. We have his ascension again. Lord Jesus Christ, before he ever died, he spoke of his own ascension. He spoke about his return to his father. He spoke about that in John 7, 33, John 17, 11, and 13, but go to John chapter 16, John's gospel chapter 16. In this chapter, the Son of God, he makes two references about his return to heaven, a return that therefore required his ascension, his leaving of the earth, and his going back into heaven. John 16, verse five, he says, but I go my way to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me whether goest I. He says, I go my way to him that sent me. I'm going to him. There is reference there to his ascension, verse 16. A little while, and ye shall not see me. And again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Twice he speaks there of his going to his Father. Something that required his ascension. Not only his resurrection, but his ascension. He says, I'm going back to my Father. My Father that is in heaven, I'm going back to heaven. I'm not making earth my, case of residency, I'm going back to my father. Beloved, the most indisputable proof of the Bible's authenticity, of the Bible's truthfulness, of the Bible's reliability is fulfilled prophecy. And the ascension of Jesus Christ is one such prophecy that has been fulfilled, spoken of in the Old Testament. Ought not Christ have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And Christ then, from the Old Testament Scriptures, as we thought about on Wednesday night, he spoke to them the things concerning himself. His entry into glory required his ascension. So Christ ascended on high. Now the references are few in number, but nevertheless, prophetically speaking about the Son of God, these references prove once again least in my mind that the Bible that I hold to and the Bible that I trust and the word of God that I love is the inerrant, the infallible, the immutable, the inspired word of the living God and therefore brother you can rely on its counsel and Sister, you can stake your eternity on it. You can live your life by its principles, young person. Sinner, its gospel promises can be trusted. I and its terrible threatenings are to be feared. Because this word, the Bible, proves itself to be true. Just as the prophecies of the Savior's ascension have been fulfilled, so every prophecy Regarding things yet future will be fulfilled to the ninth degree. Not one will be left unfulfilled. We'll find ourselves, when we come to be in God's presence, reviewing from the vantage point of eternity, we'll be able to say, with regard to all prophetic scripture, not one thing afield. Of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning all are come to pass unto you and not one thing of field thereof. That's what Joshua said and that's what we'll say. Was scripture fulfilled? Consider briefly with me then the angelic proclamation at Christ's ascension. We've thought about the prophecy of his ascension. Think about this angelic proclamation made at the Savior's ascension there in Acts and the chapter number one. Luke informs us there in verse 10 that two angels communicate a message to the disciples as they watch the Savior ascend back to heaven. Ye men of Galilee, ye men of Galilee, verse 11, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. In that communication, there seems to be a gentle rebuking of the Savior's disciples. Now initially, you would think that what these men were doing were commendable. They were fixing their eyes on Christ. They were keeping Christ before them. They were looking to Christ. That was surely a commendable thing that they ought to be doing. And brethren and sisters, there was nothing wrong in their looking up into heaven. But the Bible doesn't say that they looked simply to heaven. And they looked to Christ. But the Bible, and Luke is very specific, he says that they stood there gazing. They stood there gazing. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? It seems to be that these disciples were so engrossed with this supernatural spectacle that they were literally seeing a man, a human man, in the form of Jesus Christ, truly God, truly man, and yet him rising literally into the crowds and being taken back to heaven. It was that they were so engrossed with this supernatural spectacle of the Son of God being taken up into heaven that they forgot that they were still on earth with a work still to do. He had finished his work. He had finished his work, but they had not finished their work. And thus they were so engrossed that they stood rooted to the spot, gazing into heaven. They had forgot that they had a task, a work to do, and that was to preach the gospel to every creature. I believe that these men found themselves in some kind of sentimental no-man's land, somewhere between God's commissioning of them and them actually doing what God had assigned them to do. And that's maybe where God finds you as a Christian today. Maybe God has clearly spoken to you, not simply because of some internal desire or want, but God has spoken to you, spoken to you through his word about serving him in some ministry, in some way, but you haven't followed through, you haven't moved in your position with regard to his leading. Well, then I would say that your state is very much like the state of these disciples as they gaze into heaven. They stood there doing nothing, enjoying the moment, basking in the glory while all the time there was a work to do. What you need is what these men needed. You need a sharp shift. You need to be startled out of your complacency and out of your hesitancy. And what better fact to startle you out of that state by reminding you of what these disciples were reminded of And what were they reminded of? They were reminded that this same Jesus, which is taken up into heaven, shall so come in like manner. They were reminded that Jesus Christ was coming again, and thus they needed to work. They needed to occupy till he came. They needed to involve themselves in the task that God had assigned them to do. The very fact that Jesus Christ was coming again was that which should have startled them out of this No man sent them into land that they wound themselves in and got them involved in the work of God. Brethren and sisters, the return of Jesus Christ should curb our gazing and fuel our going. It should curb our gazing and fuel our going. I say to you that there are too many Christians to many people within the evangelical church, and they are geezers, but they're not rafters. They are lookers, but they're not laborers. Brethren and sisters, it's all very well speculating who the 10 toes on Nebuchadnezzar's statue is. All well and good to do that. It's all well and good to try to identify who Gog It's all good to try and decipher who the Antichrist is or who it's going to be. But brethren and sisters, there are millions who perish without a knowledge of Jesus Christ around us. There are those who perish for want of the gospel, eschological matters. Eschological matters, yes. But what about evangelism? What about doing what God has asked us to do? Horatius Bonner, he said, men in darkness at your side without a hope to cheer the tomb. Take up the torch and wave it wide, the torch that lights times thick as gloom. This is what we're to do. Too often God's people are found in some kind of contemplative state. We ought to be in some kind of active state, brethren and sisters, doing what God would have us to do. We ought to be advancing the gospel. We ought to be making Christ known in a post-Christian world, because that's what we live in, brethren and sisters. We live in a post-Christian world. We need to make Christ known. And there's too many of God's people, and metaphorically speaking, you're standing on the Mount of Olives, and you're still gazing up into heaven. For all the time, the souls that needed to be reached were in Jerusalem, needed to be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh may God stir us up. We thought about the prophetic, nature of the ascension of Christ. We've thought about this proclamation here by the angels. Let's think about the purpose for Christ's ascension. That's our final thought for today, the purpose of Christ's ascension. Speaking to his disciples prior to his death, Jesus Christ said in John 16, verse seven, nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. be better for, be good, be profitable. Christ was saying to them that it's necessary. It's necessary that I go away. He was informing his followers that his ascension back to heaven was going to benefit them more than him staying on earth. It was going to be more beneficial for him to go than for him to stay on earth. Christ ascended. and took his place at the Father's right hand for the following purposes. Christ ascended back to heaven in the first place, noted down, to verify the completeness of his redemptive work. To verify the completeness of his redemptive work, the ascension of Christ marked the completion of our Lord's earthly ministry and his redemptive work by raising his son from the dead, And welcoming him back into heaven, God the Father was declaring, my son has done everything I asked him to do, the great work of redemption, and now, because the work is done, I now place him, I now exalt him at the right hand of the majesty and high, the ascension was the divine confirmation of the validity and the acceptance of the atonement that Christ made for his people. When Christ ascended back to heaven, it verified the sufficiency of Christ's death. Henry Mabelle said, if Christ had not returned to the Father, we must always have feared that our redemption was incomplete. Charles Spurgeon said, his ascension and stately pump amidst the acclamation of angels to the enjoyment of his father's continued smile is the sure proof that the work, you know, the work of redemption is complete. It's complete. Maybe I'm addressing someone here today and you're struggling with the assurance of salvation. Well, then I would encourage you to look, to look to your risen, look to your ascended, look to your exalted Christ today in heaven, and let all those doubts of yours be driven away forever. The beginning of the tomb, his passing through the heavens, and now his appearance in heaven for us and for you is proof that the work of redemption has been done to the complete satisfaction of God. done, sister. He has ascended on high. He would not have been exalted, he would not have ascended if his work was incomplete, but the work of redemption is done. And his ascension affirms it and verifies it. The father is satisfied. The resurrection does that as well. His position at the right hand of God does that, but also his ascension. The work is done. Christ ascended back to heaven in the second place, to prepare an eternal home for his people. To his troubled and much perplexed disciples, Lord Jesus Christ comforted them with these words in John 14, one and two. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. for you. I'm going away, and the reason, the purpose why I'm going away, and my going away will require my death, my burial, my resurrection, my ascension, but I'm going away to prepare a place for you. He's gone to prepare a place for his redeemed people, and what a home it must be. What a home, what a place it must be. If he for the last 2,000 years has been preparing that home, what must heaven be like? If he takes six days to make this world, what must it be to be like or to be in glory itself? No brother or sister in this world, it's not our home. We're thankful for the homes that we have and all the blessings there and the furnishings And all of the comfort that we enjoy in our earthly home, of course we do, but this world is not our home. And so let's not live in a way that gives off the impression that this world is our home. Let's not live in a way that gives the impression that this world is our home, because it's not. We're only pilgrims and strangers. J.C. Ryle said, Christ has prepared our home. By carrying your names with him as our high priest into the holy of holies and making angels ready to receive us, those who enter heaven will find they are neither unknown nor unexpected. Never does a child of God enter heaven unexpectedly. Sometimes that happens. Visitors appeared at the front doorstep, and we think to ourselves, we didn't expect them. Didn't expect them. That never happens in heaven. Christ expects everyone. Not a glorious thought. He expects everyone. I want to ask you today, is he expecting you? Is the Savior expecting your arrival? Is there a place in heaven prepared for you? It can be if today you repent of your sin and believe the gospel. The third place, the Son of God ascended back to heaven in order that God the Holy Spirit would descend to earth. God the Son ascended to heaven so that God the Holy Spirit would descend to earth. Listen to those words of the Savior. Remember we said, what he said, it is expedient, it is necessary, it is beneficial, it is good, that I go away. Christ goes on to say there in John 16 verse seven, nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him on to you. Christ ascended so that the comforter would descend. Christ ascended so the comforter would descend. Reverend Dave T. Pearson put it like this, the Holy Spirit was God's ascension gift to Christ that he might bestow speaking of the Holy Spirit, that he might be bestowed by Christ as his ascension gift to the church. The Father gave the Son as a gift on his ascension, and as a result of the fact that he has now ascended, Christ gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Comforter has come. Really, Pearson's words are just another way of what Peter said on the day of Pentecost, remember that great Confusion, as it were, the outpouring of the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost, and Peter's trying to explain all that's happening to the crowd that day over there. Look, we're in Acts. Let's turn to Acts 2, verse 33. We'll soon be finished. Acts 2, verse 33. Therefore being, therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, speaking of Jesus Christ, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, there the Father has given now the Holy Spirit to his Son, he hath, He shed forth this, this all that you're seeing, that He has shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Upon His ascension and exaltation, God the Son sent forth God the Holy Spirit into this world, and today, thank God, He dwells in the hearts of His people. Child of God, if He did not, if Christ had not returned to heaven, Then we would be deprived of the blessed ministry of God, the Holy Spirit. And we thought about that in our family worship services. We took weeks to speak about all that the Holy Spirit does. What does he do? Ah, he convicts us, and he reproves us, and then he indwells us, and he fills us, he enlightens our minds, he regenerates the heart, he seals us, he assures us, he sanctifies us, he teaches us, he guides us, he transforms us, he comforts us as the people of God. Oh, the blessed ministry of the Holy Spirit. We would have been deprived of that if Christ had not ascended, and the Spirit had not descended. I am sinner, you are to be deprived of his ministry. What is his ministry to the sinner? His ministry is that of convicting the sinner of their sin, of reproving the sinner, his power to illuminate the mind, his ability to regenerate the heart. This is what the Spirit of God, this is what he does, this is his ministry. How would you ever come to Christ He takes his work within your soul. I asked you, is God working in your soul? Has he been working in your heart over the last week? Has he been reproving you about your sin? Do you feel ashamed about it? Do you feel embarrassed over it? Do you feel convicted about it? God's working within that soul of yours. Why not take the steps, sinner? Why not trust in Jesus Christ today? This is Easter, this is a new beginning. Oh, let this Easter, Easter 2022, be the Easter of your salvation. Let this day be the day of your salvation. Not that there's anything with respect to a simple date. I don't believe in that. But is this day not a good day, a Sabbath day, a Christian Sabbath, to be the day of your salvation? In the fourth instance, God the Son ascended back to heaven to obtain gifts for men. of just these last two points, bear with me. Ephesians chapter four. I said that we would come here. Ephesians chapter four in the verse number eight. Verse eight, verse eight. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he made captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Now the question is then, this is speaking of Christ, the question is asked, what are these gifts? What are these gifts? He gave gifts unto men. What are they? Well, we've already mentioned one, God the Holy Spirit. What a blessed gift. That's one of the gifts, but it's in the plural. He didn't obtain a gift for unto men, but he's given gifts unto men. And so Paul, he refers to what those gifts are. Look at the verse 11, we don't have to speculate. He doesn't. You don't have to say, well, he's given us the gifts of speaking in tongues or healing. Those are the gifts. No, no, no. Let's get to the book. Let's see what the word says. And he gave, here they are, and he gave, and he gave apostles, and he gave some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Jesus Christ. And I wonder, Christian, let me get, be honest, be honest now. We're in God's presence. Did you ever think? Did you ever think? And did you ever look upon pastors, teachers, and evangelists in the Church of Jesus Christ as being ascension gifts? Mr. Spurgeon remarked, according to Paul, these gifts which our Lord gave are embodied in men. For the Holy Spirit comes upon men whom he has chosen and works through them according to his good pleasure. Hence he gave some apostles, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. The reason why any church has a Christian pastor is because Christ has ascended on high. Such are God's gifts to his church. I'm a little embarrassed to say these things. But I must admit, I never considered my minister as such before. I never thought of him as being an ascension gift. A gift given to Christ and then Christ is now given to the world as a result of his ascension. I never thought about my old minister like that. He was a gift to God to me. He was God's gift to me. And since they are brethren and sisters, I believe then we should respect them. And we should honor them. I'm not saying to honor them if they apostatize and they go into heresy. But if they are a faithful preacher of the word, and using the gifts and the abilities that God gives them, maybe not like other men, but they're using what God has given them, then we should honor them and we should We should respect them, and then we must ask ourselves the question, is it proper, is it proper that we unjustly speak disparagingly about the ministers of the gospel? Is that just? Is that right? If they are an ascension gift given to Christ for his church, They have been tasked with under-shepherding, or shepherding the flock of God. They are God's gifts to his church. Thank God for his gifts. Whenever I came out on Wednesday night after the meeting, I thought to myself, I'll not hear that on Holy Week. I'll not be hearing that kind of message on Holy Week. Thank God for men who can handle the word of God. We don't put them on a pedestal, they're only men. but they're God's gifts. He has given his church these gifts. Be careful. Be careful, child of God. I am not saying that ministers are not beyond reproach. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that they're not beyond failure. I'm not saying that. But you ought to pray for your minister, your pastor, Because what would it be like not to have a minister or a pastor? And so he has ascended to obtain gifts for men. Finally, he has ascended to appear in the presence of God for us. The Son of God ascended to heaven to mark the start of his heavenly priestly work. And underlying that work, his heavenly priestly work, he had a priestly work on earth, but he is also one in heaven. He lives as our priest, our great high priest, to intercede for us. In heaven he is our advocate before the Father. He is the one who pleads our cause when we falter and fail. In heaven, by his very presence, he presents the merits of his sacrifice for us before God. What a blessing to have the Son of God as our advocate. There he makes intercession for me. There he takes care of my affairs. There he presents my petitions. There he answers all of the charges and the accusations of the devil that he makes against me. And there he asks for me and he sees applied every blessing of grace unto me. And it's all because he has ascended on high. It's all because he's went back to heaven. Yes, today we thank God for the crosswork, and today we thank God for the resurrection, but we thank God for the ascension. I finish with a quote from John Calvin, who said these words, since Christ is in heaven for us, let us note that we need not fear to be in this world. We look to our head, who is already in heaven, and we say, though I am weak, there is Jesus Christ, who is powerful enough to make me stand upright. Although I am feeble, there is Jesus Christ who is my strength. Although I am full of miseries, Jesus Christ is in immortal glory, and what he has will sometime be given to me, and I shall partake of all of his benefits. Look to Christ. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. risen, ascended, glorified. That's what the hymn writer said. Oh may we send out our hallelujahs. Christ is risen indeed and he has entered into his glory. Oh may it be to the rejoicing of our souls today for Christ's sake. Let's pray together, let's seek the Lord. Time is far gone, but let's pray. Please avail yourself of the communion supper, please, child of God. And so let's seek the Lord, our Father in heaven. We rejoice in one who is ascended on high. We thank thee for this. the throne of grace, there we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We thank thee for the one who is in all of his glory and majesty today, and he desires to save the lost, to restore the fallen, and to encourage us as thy people. Oh, may we be, our thoughts be centered on Jesus Christ today, and help this communion supper we remember our Savior's dying love. It's a prayer, we pray this in Jesus' name.