text
stringlengths
7
443
[1504.54 --> 1504.70] Amen.
[1505.12 --> 1505.18] Amen.
[1505.54 --> 1505.62] Amen.
• The speaker discusses the upcoming Holy Spirit sermon series starting on Pentecost Sunday
• Ascension Sunday is observed, reflecting on Jesus' ascension to his rightful throne and its significance for Christians
• The ministry of Jesus is mapped out, including his birth, earthly ministry, betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension
• Jesus' decision to ascend to his throne rather than staying in a perfected resurrected body is questioned
• Ephesians 1:3-14 is read and discussed as a passage that explains the significance of Jesus ascending to his throne
• The ascension of Jesus Christ is a significant event with ongoing impact on the life of the church and the world
• The significance of Jesus' ascension is often overlooked, compared to Christmas and Easter
• Believing in the significance of Jesus' ascension changes one's life and understanding of their purpose
• God has revealed a mystery through Jesus, that he rules from his rightful throne with authority, power, and love
• This revelation equips believers to witness to the world and make disciples of all nations
• As people who know this mystery, they are chosen in Christ before creation to be holy and blameless in God's sight
• This identity as God's children means living under Jesus' true reign and being set apart from the rest of the world.
• The nature of being holy and set apart is discussed, citing Paul's letters and emphasizing that it is a belonging to Jesus Christ.
• Being holy is not achieved through good deeds or self-righteousness, but solely by the grace of God.
• The concept of "in Christ" is highlighted as the source of our holiness and separation.
• Confidence in faith and trust in Jesus' reign is emphasized as a key aspect of Christian identity.
• Lament and prayer for restoration are also highlighted as vital practices for Christians.
• The relationship between confidence in faith and lament is discussed, with both being necessary aspects of the Christian life.
• Desperation for God's grace and mercy in a time of need
• The delay of Jesus' return and the world's suffering
• Living with an unknown timeline for Jesus' return
• The importance of living under Christ's reign as a way of life, not just a checklist
• The role of hope and faith in living out God's kingdom on earth
• The power of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers to live out this kingdom life
• The confidence and hope that comes from living in dependence on God's reign and the guidance of the Holy Spirit
• The speaker discusses the kingdom life and mission identity of the church
• The importance of gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and resurrection
• God's ascension to heaven and continued reign with ultimate wisdom, authority, and love
• The church's role in joining God in restoring the world to its original state of shalom through faith and confidence in God's gift of salvation.
[0.00 --> 6.78] good morning hope
[6.78 --> 15.30] if you were with us last week pastor dave mentioned that we are going to start our
[15.30 --> 22.32] holy spirit sermon series starting on pentecost sunday which is next week and so that's what's
[22.32 --> 27.78] coming up for us as we get to think and reflect on what it means to be gifted with god's holy spirit
[27.78 --> 33.30] leading us and guiding us through our lives but before we get there today if you follow the
[33.30 --> 39.10] christian calendar at all it's actually ascension sunday today and we get to reflect and we have
[39.10 --> 44.96] the privilege of looking at the significance of jesus ascending to his rightful throne and what
[44.96 --> 53.06] that means for us today so if you were to map out the ministry of jesus when he came to us god sent
[53.06 --> 61.90] his one and only son and he was born as a human being born as a servant came in his earthly ministry
[61.90 --> 69.02] reflected his divine authority in his ministries and what dave called it called sneak previews of
[69.02 --> 74.52] god's kingdom and what it's supposed to be but then the ironic part the next step was that he was
[74.52 --> 81.58] betrayed by the ones he came to save died on the cross in a sign as a sign of curse and then rose
[81.58 --> 87.48] again from the dead defeating the power of sin once and for all and then kind of a twist in the
[87.48 --> 94.44] narrative if you will he is resurrected and then for 40 days he just hangs out he hangs out with his
[94.44 --> 100.92] friends his his disciples and followers further equipping them to reflect god's kingdom on earth as it is in
[100.92 --> 108.50] heaven and after that time jesus decides in his ultimate wisdom that it is now time for jesus to ascend
[108.50 --> 115.38] to his throne at the right hand of god the father to rule the world with the authority that he is given
[115.38 --> 122.68] the authority all the authority he has under heaven and earth that he continues to rule and so this is a
[122.68 --> 129.20] sidebar but when we think of jesus ascending to his throne if you're like me you think oh yeah he went
[129.20 --> 137.02] to heaven above the clouds somewhere far far away in a way the way it's described in acts it can it can
[137.02 --> 144.12] seem that way but the reality of it is we don't know exactly where the heavenly realms are but we
[144.12 --> 151.50] know that god is with us and the good news is that jesus is on his throne he has defeated the power of
[151.50 --> 157.80] sin and death once and for all and now he sits on his rightful throne and he is with us and guides us
[157.80 --> 167.24] and equips us to live out this kingdom rule here now in the broken world that we live in and that's what we get to look into
[167.24 --> 175.02] today that's why it's important for us as christians to know that jesus really did ascend to his rightful place
[175.02 --> 182.44] and and so continuing this thread of why questions so why is this important for us as christians that
[182.44 --> 189.84] he's ascended to his throne and then continuing on the flip side of that then why is it that jesus
[189.84 --> 198.60] didn't stay in his perfected resurrected body not for 40 days but for thousands of years meaning why isn't he
[198.60 --> 205.30] in person with us right now how come he decided in his wisdom to ascend to his throne he was with his
[205.30 --> 211.54] disciples for 40 days how come he's not with us in person right now that's kind of sort of what i want
[211.54 --> 218.94] to witness to from scripture but before we dive in and sort of answer these questions i had to stop and
[218.94 --> 226.22] reflect myself thinking about this last question why didn't just jesus just stay i had to think now if
[226.22 --> 236.86] jesus was still really with with me here in person first would i be able to acknowledge jesus as my
[236.86 --> 243.70] lord and savior this person that is with me or would i doubt just like many of his disciples did
[243.70 --> 251.92] or even worse would i get tired of this king the truthful king of him asking so much of me in my life
[251.92 --> 257.04] him knowing what it takes to be to have a flourishing life to reflect god's kingdom life
[257.04 --> 263.38] on earth would i just get tired of that battling against my old self thinking ah seriously jesus more
[263.38 --> 271.70] prayer seriously jesus more serving more loving something to think about as we reflect on what
[271.70 --> 277.88] paul presents us to us to us in ephesians about the significance of jesus ascending to his throne
[277.88 --> 283.94] and so if you have your bibles with you we turn today to ephesians chapter one we read from verse
[283.94 --> 291.04] three to 14 it's a bit of a longer passage but i will explain why it has to be read together in just a
[291.04 --> 299.52] sec and so ephesians we read from god's word praise be to god to the god and father of our lord jesus christ
[299.52 --> 307.62] who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in christ for he chose us in him
[307.62 --> 313.86] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love he predestined us
[313.86 --> 319.44] for adoption to sonship through jesus christ in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise
[319.44 --> 326.34] of his glorious grace which he has freely given us in the one he loves in him in christ we have
[326.34 --> 331.28] redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of god's grace
[331.28 --> 337.44] that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery
[337.44 --> 344.02] of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in christ to be put into effect when the
[344.02 --> 350.38] times reach their fulfillment to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under christ
[350.38 --> 357.34] in him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out
[357.34 --> 363.46] everything in conformity with the purpose of his will in order that we who were the first to put
[363.46 --> 370.70] our hope in christ might be for the praise of his glory and you also were included in christ when you
[370.70 --> 377.96] heard the message of truth the gospel of your salvation when you believed you were marked in him with a seal
[377.96 --> 385.52] the promised holy spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
[385.52 --> 396.00] god's possession to the praise of his glory amen amen amen and so the passage that we just read is actually
[396.00 --> 402.36] really difficult to break down in our english language because from the original greek that we translate from
[402.36 --> 411.58] these verses from 3 to 14 is one sentence this kind of song of praise that breaks out in paul's letter to
[411.58 --> 418.26] the ephesians it's one single sentence in the greek that's why everything is connected and in our verses
[418.26 --> 424.12] the numbers that which didn't exist in the original manuscripts the way we translate them and we number
[424.12 --> 430.46] them it's hard it's difficult to place because it's one sentence where do you where's the comma where's the
[430.46 --> 439.64] break how do you split this into kind of coherent um a letter a passage and so looking at that and reflecting
[439.64 --> 447.48] on that fact that this is one long sentence i want to suggest that paul here is just overjoyed and
[447.48 --> 454.04] filled with passion as he writes to the believers in ephesus so in other words it's like this he's kind of
[454.04 --> 461.48] passionate full of emotion as he writes and saying dear brothers and sisters of ephesus and to us as well
[461.48 --> 469.26] brothers and sisters of hope i really really want you to know this i praise god our father and our lord
[469.26 --> 475.26] christ is the king of the lord jesus christ because jesus has now ascended to his rightful throne and from there he
[475.26 --> 483.26] rules with justice and love the throne jesus sits on is his rightful throne and from there he has all authority