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[483.26 --> 491.26] and power but also he has the love of god that is that is ruled out in his kingdom so this is the continuation of the good news the |
[491.26 --> 504.22] gospel story the significance of jesus ascending to his heavenly throne is that from there he continues to reign |
[504.22 --> 512.78] and rule as the true king of all creation and now has invited us as his people his church and equips us to |
[512.78 --> 521.02] live out his rule on earth as it is in heaven that's the good news and his ascension we have to note |
[521.26 --> 526.54] is not just some one-time event that we cheer for yay okay that happened and then we move on from |
[527.42 --> 533.18] what we as a church throughout history have done well with is usually christmas and easter jesus came |
[533.18 --> 539.18] to die for our sins he came as a baby he was born on christmas so we celebrate that and for easter he has |
[539.18 --> 545.98] defeated the power of death and sin so we celebrate the resurrection and rightly so but one thing where we |
[545.98 --> 550.94] sort of fall short is we don't emphasize or celebrate the ascension of christ as much |
[552.38 --> 558.06] because the ascension is not just one little tiny thing that happened we go oh yeah right jesus ascended |
[558.78 --> 566.30] it's a point in history that has ongoing impact in the life of the church and the life and and for the |
[566.30 --> 574.22] whole world for all generations do you believe this because if you do if you believe that the ascension of |
[574.22 --> 581.66] christ has significance for our lives today then your life cannot and will not be the same before you |
[581.66 --> 589.18] knew this mystery that is revealed for us this is the word that paul uses in in scripture the mystery |
[589.18 --> 595.82] that is revealed to us in verse 8 to 9 of our passage he says that with all wisdom and understanding |
[596.54 --> 604.22] god made known to us the mystery of his will and the greek word musterion does not |
[604.22 --> 609.02] signify some sort of incomprehensible knowledge like oh it's a mystery no one can know it |
[609.90 --> 619.50] this word simply signifies a secret a long kept secret that has now been revealed to us through christ |
[619.50 --> 627.34] that's what the word signifies and so for us who have been revealed this mystery what mystery what secret |
[627.34 --> 635.74] the secret the secret the revealed secret for us that jesus is on his throne and with all authority and |
[635.74 --> 643.58] power and love he's loving the whole world back to redemption to restoration to bring unity and shalom to all |
[643.58 --> 650.06] things and that's the hope that we have and that's the mystery that is revealed for us and so as a people |
[650.06 --> 659.74] who know who know this mystery then we are equipped to further witness to the world that desperately needs |
[659.74 --> 667.98] this hope as well on his throne jesus commissions us as dave mentioned last week with the great commission |
[669.10 --> 676.38] we are also sent we are blessed with every spiritual blessing and we are now sent to make disciples of all |
[676.38 --> 683.42] nations right that is our witness that is our mission to make disciples of all nations baptizing them in |
[683.42 --> 689.02] the name of the father the son and the holy spirit that we get to teach and we get to share the life of |
[689.02 --> 697.18] everything that was taught to us by our king and savior jesus so it's not some sort of religion or tasks that |
[697.18 --> 704.30] we need to accomplish it is a way of life because we know and we are people who believe that jesus has ascended to |
[704.30 --> 712.70] his rightful place that he continues to rule and one of the blessings that's mentioned specifically |
[712.70 --> 721.18] is is described by paul in verse 4 for us paul says in verse 4 that god chose us in him that is in christ |
[721.90 --> 729.02] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight that one verse is packed full of |
[729.02 --> 738.62] significance for our christian identities first it's the gospel truth that god chose us not us choosing him |
[740.30 --> 747.66] we love because god first loved us not the other way around the miracle of salvation isn't that we |
[747.66 --> 755.02] somehow put enough things together in our lives and started living for god the miracle of salvation is that god chose us |
[755.02 --> 762.78] even if you grew up in the church like i did we can all wrestle like even if you identify yourself as a christian all your life |
[763.50 --> 768.86] we can all wrestle with doubt and faithless faithlessness throughout our lives |
[770.14 --> 778.30] but the one foundation that we have is that god in our past present and future does not give up on us does not stop |
[778.30 --> 785.02] loving us with his unconditional love and he continues to invite his children into adoption into his family |
[786.30 --> 794.54] hence we confess with paul we are saved by grace through faith not by works so that no one can boast it is |
[794.54 --> 803.18] not up to us we are not on the throne deciding whether we are saved or not this is solely by the grace of god |
[803.18 --> 809.90] who has called us who has called us into adoption to his family that's the good news that god is on the throne |
[810.46 --> 822.94] not us second we are chosen in christ for what purpose we are chosen in christ to be holy and blameless paul says |
[823.50 --> 828.06] holy and blameless and that's what i would say is our missional identity |
[828.06 --> 835.66] because we are people who live as god's children who live under the true reign of jesus our king and savior |
[836.14 --> 839.18] we are called to be holy and blameless just as he is |
[840.94 --> 849.02] being holy is not some fancy term to signify general goodness here and if you're like me and you have many |
[849.98 --> 857.26] good friends i i have a lot of friends that are not christians that do not profess that jesus is their savior and lord |
[857.90 --> 866.14] but they are kind they are genuine they are honest and they are what i would say reflecting god's image |
[866.14 --> 875.18] deeply but holiness here in our christian identity signifies a very simple meaning in that we are set |
[875.18 --> 883.18] apart that's what holy means or kadosh in hebrew it just simply means set apart separated from the rest of |
[883.18 --> 891.82] the world the question we should be asking is how are we holy so how are we set apart and it's a sunday |
[891.82 --> 897.34] school answer although it's expressed differently in paul's letters what's the sunday school answer for |
[897.34 --> 904.54] everything jesus how does paul say it in two words it was repeated all throughout the passage that we read |
[905.18 --> 915.58] two words in christ that's how we are holy in christ it is first and foremost a belonging |
[916.46 --> 923.82] to jesus christ our lord and savior that's how we are set apart not through things that we do not through |
[923.82 --> 928.70] some general good things that we check off and say okay i've done enough of these things and now i'm |
[928.70 --> 937.10] righteous now i'm holy i'm good enough right no as we just looked at it is solely by the grace of god |
[937.10 --> 945.90] that he chose us in him in christ to belong to him and that's our separating marker as paul says we are marked |
[945.90 --> 957.82] with a seal that we belong to christ so even though we are not perfect or better yet because we are not perfect |
[958.46 --> 966.62] god by his grace chose us in christ to be blameless to be holy to be perfect to be pure just as he is |
[967.26 --> 974.78] even in our broken selves we are clothed with grace we are clothed with the righteousness righteousness of christ |
[976.38 --> 981.02] where now we can have restoration relationship with our father in heaven |
[983.58 --> 989.66] and that's how the world sees us as holy and set apart that's our missional identity that i mentioned |
[990.38 --> 999.18] even in our imperfection god's love over through overflows through our lives and practically speaking |
[999.82 --> 1005.50] the source of this overflow not something that we've done not something that we are all self-righteous |
[1005.50 --> 1011.98] about but out of god's grace and out of his love and the overflow of this love to our neighbors the |
[1011.98 --> 1020.46] source of this love is our deep deep dependence as we live with hope and trust that everything is in |
[1020.46 --> 1026.78] god's hands that's the significance again of jesus being on the throne he continues even right now |
[1028.14 --> 1035.10] to reign as a true king and he is in control even in times where it feel it may feel like it's not |
[1036.78 --> 1045.02] to sum up this section we are a holy set apart people who put our hope in christ because we have faith we have |
[1045.02 --> 1051.66] trust that one day we will get to live in new creation in new resurrected bodies that one day the victory won by |
[1051.66 --> 1061.10] jesus on the cross is what we live for is our hope that all things will be made new again and we have |
[1061.10 --> 1068.06] confidence in that and so until that full restoration we know that even in seeming chaos |
[1068.06 --> 1078.94] that's the confidence that's the confidence that's the confidence that overflows from the trust that we |
[1078.94 --> 1086.14] have in christ just as the old testament prophet jeremiah expressed he had the same hope even though |
[1086.14 --> 1092.22] he did not see the the fulfillment of god's plan through his son jesus christ he knew what was being |
[1092.22 --> 1098.94] foreshadowed and him being the prophet of god he says this exact same thing as he prophesies and he |
[1098.94 --> 1106.94] blesses he says blessed is the man who trusts in the lord whose confidence is in him they will be like a |
[1106.94 --> 1114.46] tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream it does not fear when heat comes its leaves |
[1114.46 --> 1123.50] are always green it has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit and so the |
[1123.50 --> 1130.14] confidence that we have in our faith and as we dwell and as we live out our kingdom identities that we |
[1130.14 --> 1140.22] live under the reign of our true king jesus we will never fail to bear fruit that's god's grace overflowing |
[1140.22 --> 1148.06] through our lives so that's the confidence side of our faith this i suggest has to be held together |
[1148.06 --> 1155.58] always with lament these are the two things that we hold in our hands in our faith we have confidence |
[1155.58 --> 1162.46] and we have faith and assurance that jesus is king but on the other side we lament it's a not yet of a |
[1162.46 --> 1171.34] broken world our faith is not naive we don't pretend that all things are perfect just because we're christians |
[1171.34 --> 1177.26] but because we belong to christ everything is now all solved and everything is just perfect and peachy |
[1178.62 --> 1184.70] from his throne jesus hears our our cries of pain and suffering |
[1184.70 --> 1193.66] jesus listens intently to our spoken and oftentimes unspoken prayers of suffering |
[1195.42 --> 1201.82] and so it's a vital christian practice and so we should be praying to god in lament in prayers out of |
[1201.82 --> 1210.14] suffering and that leads to ultimately the prayer that the psalmist also prays how long lord will you |
[1210.14 --> 1218.30] forget me forever how long until all the suffering and the injustice ends how long until you come back |
[1218.30 --> 1219.58] and restore all things |
[1223.74 --> 1231.10] jesus hears these cries of pain and he doesn't just sit on a distant throne closing off his ear and saying |
[1231.10 --> 1235.50] that's not my problem anymore i'm i'm on the throne i've accomplished my mission i'm done |
[1235.50 --> 1246.70] jesus listens to every prayer that we pray to him and his heart breaks for the world and he says also to |
[1246.70 --> 1254.14] add on top of that he blesses those who mourn with him for the brokenness of the world as part of the |
[1254.14 --> 1262.46] beatitudes jesus blesses those who mourn for they shall be comforted he says and so it's part of our blessed |
[1262.46 --> 1267.82] identity to lament that the brokenness and suffering of the world even through the struggles of pain |
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