Good morning. Good to see everybody out this morning. Having technical difficulties here. I'll figure that out later. All right. If you would, open your Bibles with me to Mark chapter 16. Lord willing, we'll finish up our studying Mark this morning. And I think we're going to go to start in Luke next Sunday, but that is still to be determined. I thought about a time I was at a Bible conference and somebody asked Rupert Rivenbark, what are you preaching on in the morning? He said, I don't know. The Lord hadn't given me that information yet. So kind of the same way, but I think it will be Luke. But we'll know when the Lord lets me know.

Before we begin, let's bow together in prayer. Our father, we're so thankful that you've given us both the desire and the ability to be here this morning. And father, we beg of you that you would be pleased to meet with us this morning. Don't let us meet here alone. We plead your promise that we're two or three are gathered together in your name. There you are in the midst of them. And we know if you don't meet with us, Lord, we'll have met in vain. But Father, I pray that you would meet with us and by the power of your spirit, reveal to us again the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn us back to him, cause us to set our affection on him, to trust him more, to love him more, to be more in awe of the wondrous redemption that we have in him.

And what we pray for ourselves. We pray, especially for our Children's class this morning. Thought you blessed and in teaching and you'd bless our young ones in listening that you would be pleased to use this time to plant the seeds of faith and grace in their hearts. And we pray for your people wherever they're meeting. Father, we pray you'd bless them as you would bless us. We pray that you'd be with the sick and the afflicted of our number. Help us not to sin against thee and forgetting to pray for our brothers and sisters in times of trouble and need. We pray that you'd give them grace that's sufficient for the hour, and you would deliver them as soon as it could be thy will. Now, Father, all these things we ask, and we give thanks in that name which is above every name, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I've titled the lesson this morning, Received Up Into Heaven. And I took my title from verse 19 that says, so then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven. Mark begins here in verse 19, so then, so then. This is the conclusion of his story of the gospel, the conclusion of his story of our Lord's earthly ministry. And if you think about it, the only way that the story of salvation in Christ can end is his ascension back to glory. It's the only way it can end. So then, after the Lord came in the flesh, and after he obeyed the laws, a man made under the law, established righteousness for his people, after he went everywhere preaching the kingdom of heaven, after he taught his disciples the gospel, he personally taught them the gospel. so that they could go out and preach the gospel in all the world. After he revealed to his people who he is, and that's really the issue. Do I know who he is? Do I believe who he is? Peter said, we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. He revealed to them who he is.

After his sacrifice and his suffering, his death, his burial, his resurrection, after him giving his disciples their final instructions, go into all the world and preach the gospel, What's left for Him to do? The only thing that's left for Him to do is ascend back to glory where He's going to be received with joy. And if the Lord will give you and me some understanding of this, the understanding of what it means that Christ ascended back into glory and was accepted there by His Father, our hearts will be both thrilled and comforted. This is something that just is helpful in our everyday life. So the first thing I want us to see about this, that when Christ ascended, the Father received him. The Father received him because he had perfectly and completely done the job that the Father sent him to do. The Father sent him to save his people from their sins, and he did it.

Look over at Luke 24. Luke chapter 24. In verse 26, ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? After He suffered everything that it took to save His people from their sin, what was left for Him to do? He must enter into His glory. He ascended back to the Father, and when He ascended, the Father received Him. And when Christ, our Savior, was received, all of his people were received in him. Received as perfect and righteous because we are what Christ our representative is.

So here's what you can take with you in our everyday life. I don't care how bad it gets. I don't care how bad it gets in this life. I don't care how, I just don't care. Whatever bad things, what we call bad things or painful things happen to us, if you're in Christ, you've already been received by the Father. No matter how bad that it gets, the salvation of God's elect is sure and certain because you've already been received in the person of your representative, and the Lord will never change his mind. All right, number two, when Christ ascended, he sat down on the right hand of the Father. Verse 19 says, so then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, And he sat on the right hand of God.

Now the right hand is the place of honor. If a king would have some sort of gathering or whatever, whoever he was, he sat on his right hand. That's the person who the king was giving all the honor to. This is Christ, the mighty victor, the mighty conqueror. When he ascended back to the father, the father sat him at his right hand. because all glory and all honor belongs to him. He gets it all. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy that David prophesied of. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou here at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

You know, the Lord didn't say that to you and me, did he? He didn't say it to the angels. He didn't say it to Moses. He didn't say it to the apostles, but he said it to his son. Because his son was the one that honored the father. Now the father honors him by giving him the seat at his right hand. And here's the thing I want us to take with us. When Christ sat down at the right hand of the father, so did his people. Look at Ephesians chapter two and I'll show you that. Ephesians chapter two. Verse five. Let's go back up to verse four.

But God, who's rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace you're saved, and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Even though we're sitting here this morning, sitting here in the flesh, we're already seated at the right hand of the Father in glory. In Christ, our representative.

Remember, whatever our representative did, all of his people did. When he obeyed the law, so did his people. When he suffered and died to the law, so did his people. When he was raised again from the dead, so were his people. And when he ascended back to the Father, his people sat down in him.

Now that's something that the human mind cannot grasp. I mean, I'm here. How can I be seated in heavenly places? It's only by being in Christ Jesus. So I don't care how bad it gets in this life. And more than likely, it's gonna get bad. We're gonna suffer sorrow and loss. The world is gonna fall apart all around us. But you just keep this in mind. We're already seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We are leaving this place and pretty soon our body's going to follow. Our body's going to follow and we'll be with him in person. All right.

Number three, Christ sat down because the work of redemption was finished. You know, we're, we're going through the book of Exodus and looking at the tabernacle and the priesthood on Wednesday nights. And one thing you never read about, because it never happened, a priest never sat down in the tabernacle. Never. There wasn't a chair for him to sit down in. Because his work was never done. Because while he did things that were pictures of Christ, they never put away sin.

There was always another sacrifice to offer. There was always more blood to sprinkle. There was always more incense that needed to be put on the coals. There was always more oil that needed to be poured into the lamp stand. There was always bread that needed to be switched out on the table of showbread. There was always something else to do because everything that priest did didn't take away one sin. But Christ, by his one sacrifice forever, made all of his people perfect.

And when the work was done, he sat down. He sat down. And not because he was tired. It's because the work was finished. Before the service this morning, Chip was telling me that he'd been carpeting a staircase. And I said, oh, that sounds like hard work. And he said, it is. Chip, I bet you sat down often before that stairway was finished. Because you're tired. I can't do them. My knees are hurting. My back is hurting. My hands are hurting. I've got to sit down and rest. never needed to stop and rest. He finished the work and then he sat down in victory, in complete and utter victory.

He is seated completely unworried about anything that's going on in his creation. You think of that. I'm worried about everything I know about happening in the He's not worried a bit because he's sitting on the throne, ruling and reigning, directing everything that happens in this earth. He is not worried about it one bit. And as he sits there, you know, he's still not resting. As he sits on the throne of glory, you know what he's doing?

He's making intercession for his people by pleading for his sacrifice for the sins of his people. Even that's not hard work. I mean, you would think making intercession for just me, just my sin, that would be hard work because it's constant. It's constant for our savior. That's not hard work. He sits and does it.

He actually doesn't even have to speak the scars in his hands, his feet, in his side, the scars in his head from where they thrust that, that crown of thorns on his head. Those are the only evidences of sin in glory. It's the evidence of his sacrifice that put away sin. And all he's got to do is sit there and the father sees those scars in his body. And he says, forgiven for you.

He, he sits as the mediator of his people and it's not hard work, not for him. So remember this, this is something we can take with us that helps us in our everyday life to think about our Savior, send it back to glory, seat it on the right hand of the Father.

I don't care how low we're brought. I don't care how sinful that we think we are. And I promise you our sin's worse than what we think it is. No matter how far away from God that we might feel, we just think. I'm so weak in faith, I'm so full of sin, and God can't accept me.

No matter how low we get, if you trust Christ, you always, whenever you want, have boldness to come before the throne of grace. And your boldness, your confidence to come before the throne of grace, pleading for mercy and grace to help in time of need, is you come on the merits of Christ. Not on our, if I come to God on my merits, I don't have any confidence whatsoever.

And I shouldn't, should I? Because of my sin. But if I come to the father on the merits of his son, I should have confidence because of who the Lord Jesus Christ is. I'm coming in his merit. And we always have an opening to come before the throne of God.

You know, You can't get an appointment to sit face to face with anybody who's important, can you? Nobody. I mean, just try to get an audience. I mean, I was gonna say the president or the governor. Try getting an appointment with a dog catcher. I mean. The Lord God omnipotent says, come before my throne of grace at all times. As long as we come in the merits of Christ, we can do that boldly. Then here's the fourth thing, I've already touched on this. Christ sits on the throne, ruling and reigning.

I don't know everything there is to know about God carrying out his will, his will that he ordained from the foundation of the world. This is all I know, for sure. His will shall come to pass. It will. Whatever it is He's willed to do, He's going to bring it to pass. And I know this is His will. I know this is His will because He said this is His will. Father, I will. Now here's the will of our Savior, that all those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.

Now that's going to happen. That's going to happen. And those people are going to go through troubles and trials and heartaches and tribulation. That's what our Lord promised us in this world. But here's how it's going to end up. We're going to be with him where he is that we may behold his glory and not through a glass dimly, not by faith, but by sight. Look at Ephesians chapter four. I know this will happen because it's his will. Ephesians chapter four.

Verse eight, wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. When the Lord ascended up on high, every enemy, this is the evidence that every enemy was completely conquered and put away. It's like the kings of old when they would return from a battle and a mighty victory and they'd lead the king or the general, whoever it was, you know, all the captured army, the soldiers that they, you know, they, they lead them all behind them in chains. They led captivity captive. This was their victory parade. When our savior ascended on high, it was in victory, complete and utter victory because he put away all the sin of all of his people. Look at verse nine. Here's why he ascended back on high.

Now he that ascended, what is it? but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He first became a man and came to the earth. Now he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things. Christ ascended back on high because when he came to this earth, he did everything that he came to do. He did everything that the father sent him to do. The sin of his people was all put away. They were all redeemed by his precious blood. he ascended back on high and he sits there right now accomplishing all of his will.

Now that will includes everything God ever purposed to do, but specifically God arranges all the events of this world to accomplish his one will, this is His will, that His people be saved. That they hear the gospel, that they believe it, that they be given faith in Christ, and that when His will is, they're going to be brought to be with Christ where He is. Now that's God's will.

And He's not just going to strike you with lightning and give you faith. He's not going to give you some great big experience and suddenly you have faith. He's not going to speak to you audibly. like he did to Moses and the prophets of old. How is it that God's gonna accomplish his will that all of his people be brought to faith in Christ, that they be preserved through their journey here below until they're brought to glory? How is it that God's gonna accomplish that will? It's by the preaching of the gospel. Verse 11, these are the gifts that he gave unto men.

He gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ. That's what the preacher's job is, for the perfecting, the maturing, the teaching of the saints, the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the wording in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. This is how God's going to accomplish his will. It's by sending out preachers to preach Christ. to teach the saints, to reveal Christ to the saints, to help them to grow and mature. So they come together in the unity of faith, so that they're fed and edified, so that they grow strong in grace and strong in faith in Christ, so not easily carried about and not easily deceived by all these false prophets. That's how the Lord's gonna accomplish his purpose. It's through the preaching of the gospel. Preaching Christ to his people will keep them looking to him until he calls us home. So here's what we can take with us. I don't care what it is that happens in this earth. This is what you can trust.

It's the Lord's will being done. Whatever happens, it's the Lord's will being done. Somebody might do something evil. Now, I'm not saying that the Lord's the author of sin. I'm saying he's the first cause of everything. And when somebody does something evil, the Lord's working that together for good. That's right, it's something that is so painful to us, and we're gonna see an example of this, Lord willing, in the message this morning. Something so painful, so awful, that causes so much upheaval in our lives, and we don't understand, and it's painful. The Lord's working it for good. Things happen. There's something, you know, we wouldn't have done it that way. I don't like it. I don't know. I mean, my flesh does not like it. It hurts. It's painful. But I know this, the Lord did it and it's for good. Maybe it's not for my good, but it's for good. It's for good. But here's the fifth thing.

When Christ ascended, He was received as the representative man. The writers all talk about Christ not being a private man. He's not a private individual. He's the second Adam. He's a representative man. He's one of those two men that God sees the whole human race in.

He either sees us in the first Adam, fallen, sinful, dead, rebellious, or he sees us in Christ the second Adam, righteous and holy, perfect, unblameable, unapprovable, in His sight. And since Christ is the second Adam, everything He did, His people did. When He obeyed the law, you who believe Him obeyed the law too. Just like we disobeyed God in Adam, we obeyed God in Christ. We're righteous and holy because that's how Christ is. As He is, so are we in this world. and he's ascended back to glory. And I can promise you this, all of his people will soon follow him there.

Scripture calls him the first fruits of those that slept. Now there were other people who were raised from the dead by the prophets, by the Lord, by the apostles, but they all died again. Christ is the first one to be raised from the dead to die no more. He's the first fruits. Since there's firstfruits, there's gonna be more fruits, aren't there? What a harvest that's gonna be. You think how glorious the firstfruits is. What a harvest that's gonna be because of who our Lord Jesus Christ is.

And since there's one man in glory, could be another one's gonna follow. All of his people are gonna follow him there. So remember this, when you're just brought so low and you just don't know how you can go on, you just remember this, you're not staying here. You're not staying here, you're going home. And when you get there, there's gonna be a place for you. Look at John chapter 14. These are such comforting words, words that our Lord said only to his disciples when he was alone with them, before he suffered. John 14, verse one. Now 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. I go to repair 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." Now that's the promise from our Savior. And pretty soon, that's what's gonna happen. We're gonna follow him there and we're gonna find a place already prepared for us. So now the Lord's given his final instruction. So then, Mark says, The Lord's given his final instructions to his people. Go into all the world and preach the gospel.

Then he ascended back to the Father. He sat down on the right hand of God. And do you know he's been silent ever since? Silent ever since. I'm reading a book on the word of God right now. And the author said something that really captured my attention this week. We know that the Word of God is powerful, don't we? Powerful. God spoke and said, let there be light. And there was light. Let the firmament appear. Let the dry land appear. Let the animals appear. And it was so.

Everything God said, it was so. But the author made this statement. When the Word of God is silent, that shows its power too. God gave a commandment and then he's silent. Everything from the time he gave that commandment stays in full effect. God said, let the sun appear. And he didn't speak about it ever again.

And the sun's still there, isn't it? The sun's still there. He told the sea, here you go, no further. There it is. There it is. I told Brother Marvin Stoniker recently, he said, I'm going on vacation to the beach. A few weeks after that, he's going on vacation to the beach. And I said, I'll call you and let you know if the sea's still there. Of course it's still there. The Word of God, the power of that Word is still in full effect. And our Savior told us, go into all the world and preach the gospel. That commandment is just as much in full effect today as it was 2,000 years ago.

So let's go preach Christ. Let's preach Christ. And here's our confidence in serving the Lord. Doesn't that sound like an impossible job? And if it's up to the power of the flesh, this is an impossible job. Going to all the world and preach the gospel. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. That's impossible. Here's our confidence in serving the Lord. Verse 20.

And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. They went forth, preached everywhere and the Lord working with them. Now, this doesn't mean the apostles were working, the preachers were working, the believers were working, and the Lord worked with them, and them and the Lord together got this job done. Here's what this means. The Lord working with them. The Lord worked with them like a craftsman works with his tools. We're just the tools. We're just the hammer. We're just the paintbrush. I have watched Brother Marvin Stoniker paint.

And it is just utterly astonishing to me because I don't have that skill. That brush he takes in his hand, I didn't think about praising the brush. I didn't think about praising the paint for putting itself on. I praised the hand that held the tool. The hand that held that brush that did something so amazing. The right tool. It's just a dumb tool, just a hammer, just a brush, just a screwdriver, whatever. But the right tool in the hand of a skilled man can accomplish great things. If the Lord would just make you and me tools in his hand, we might be surprised at the effect that the gospel has. Because it's not of us, the power is of him. And to think that He's the one on the throne. He's got all power. Then whatever it is that he sends us to do is going to accomplish his will.

And that's good enough for me. I hope it will be for you too. All right, you're dismissed. I don't know if you can see it. I heard on the radio that there's something like 2,500% more accidents going on after you take the second dose. Nobody said it's because we're tired. Yeah. Not adjusted. As I was listening to that, I noticed a difference.