Obviously we don't know how this
works, but the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator,
did not have a human body until he left heaven and came into
Mary's womb, begotten of the Holy Ghost. And he left heaven. Now heaven is a place where there
is no time. It's eternal. And he left heaven,
and yet the scripture also says, or the Lord says, no man hath
ascended into heaven except the Son of Man, which is in heaven.
He was looking at them on earth, and he said, I'm in heaven. And
yet he'd been gone. for 33 years. And I don't know
how that works in eternity because they don't have time there. But
all of a sudden we read of him ascending back into heaven. The
Acts account says, And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up with a cloud. 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, 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 you
seen him go into heaven. And I can't help but think about
what it must have been when the Lord entered heaven once again. He'd been gone, yet He was always
there. And now He enters again, the
object of divine worship. I think of the angels falling
down before Him, I don't know how this works,
the saints that were there falling down before them, but here he
ascends back into heaven. Now, in our text we read, so
after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was alive for 40 days
after his resurrection, and he made at least 10 or 11 different
appearances that we know of, maybe more. After he'd spoken to them, he
was received up into heaven, and picture this in your mind,
he sat. He sat. He wasn't tired. He didn't need
to rest. But he sat on the right hand
of God. Now the right hand of God is
his power and his authority. Two things that are very much
related. His power, I think maybe the best way it could be described,
if it can be described, is he has absolute control of everything. That's his power. He has absolute
control of everything. That's his omnipotence. He controls
the insignificant things, the sparrows that fall to the ground.
He controls everything else. I mean, you can't leave out anything
or you leave it all out. He is omnipotent. That is His power. You know,
without the power of God, the omnipotence of God, all of His
other attributes really fall to the ground. He is omnipotent. That's who God is. And he has
authority. He has the right to do as he
pleases because he's God. He doesn't have to ask your permission.
He doesn't have to see if it's okay with you or me with whatever
he does. He has absolute right. Can I not do what I will with
my own? And the Lord sat down on the
right hand of God. The one seated is the one who
has all power and all authority. And I love to think of him in
this light. This is this glorious person
who saved us. It was said of him with authority
and power, there's both the words, with authority and power, he
commanded the unclean spirits and they come out. Now, I love
to think of him sitting right now while we're talking. He's
sitting on his throne. Having finished his work, the
sitting savior, I love those words, I have glorified thee
on the earth. He's giving a summary of all
he'd done. I have glorified thee on the earth. He completely glorified
his father. I have finished the work thou
gavest me to do. Sitting, not pacing back and
forth, worrying that his will will not come to pass, but sitting
in regal splendor, undisturbed by opposition. Let me repeat
that. utterly undisturbed by opposition,
in absolute control of everything. That is the Son of God. And there's
a lot in the scripture about the Lord sitting at the right
hand of God. We're going to come back to our
text at the end, but Christ is called in Psalm 80 verse 17,
the man of thy right hand. And it said concerning His right
hand, thy right hand is full of righteousness. When Rich,
you were praying, you were talking about thanking the Lord for His
attributes, His righteousness, His sovereignty. Oh, we love
Him as He is, don't we? And the Lord said concerning
being at the right hand of the Father, I love, listen to this.
He said, at thy right hand are pleasures evermore. Oh, the pleasure. that is between
the father and the son as he sits on the throne. What infinite
pleasure. Now I'd like you to turn to Matthew
chapter 22. This passage from Psalm 110 is
quoted five times in the New Testament. And we find out who
the Lord is from this passage of scripture. Beginning in verse
41, while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked
them, saying, what think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, the son of
David. He saith unto them, how then doth David in spirit call
him Lord? Saying, the Lord said. unto my Lord. Sit thou on my
right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David then called him Lord,
how is he his son? And no man was able to answer
him a word. I just stunned silence. We don't know how to answer this.
I had no idea, but listen to this. If you guy can understand
how the Lord Jesus Christ is David's Lord and David's son,
we know who he is. He's David's Lord. He's David's
God. He's David's son, the man Christ
Jesus. Just in understanding that I
understand that he is the God man. What a blessed thing to know. David's Lord, David's God, David's
son, the man, Christ Jesus. And the Father, the God of glory
says, sit thou on my right hand until I make your enemies your
footstool. Look at Mark chapter 14. Verse 60, and the high priest
stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, answerest thou
nothing? What is it which these witness against thee? But he
held his peace and answered nothing. I see such power in his silence. Again, the high priest asked
him and said unto him, art thou the Christ, the son of the blessed? And Jesus said, I am. And you shall see the son of
man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds. Now, there are two words I've
already gone over briefly that describe his power. One is just
the word power, his omnipotence. and the other is his authority.
And the Lord tells these people, you're going to see me in coming
in the clouds of glory. Don't you look forward to his
return. You're going to see me in the clouds of glory and you're
going to understand, you're gonna know, you're gonna see that I
am in fact omnipotent. And you're gonna understand real
clearly at that time that I'm in absolute control of you. Oh, they hated that. And you're
going to learn something about my authority, my right to do
with you whatever I am pleased to do. Now that's the son of
God sitting on the throne in absolute power and authority. And he's like no other absolute
power. This one who has absolute power
is meek and lowly in heart. He's humble. Isn't that amazing? The Son of God. And he is filled
with, while we see his power and his terror to these people,
they're enraged. They wanna put him to death over
this. They say, what further need have we any witness after
he making this statement? He's guilty, he's worthy of death. And they sentenced him to death.
But he said, you're gonna see me sitting at the right hand
with absolute power. Paul said that God set him at
his own right hand far above all principalities, powers, and
might, and every name that's named, not only in this world,
but in that which is to come. And he hath put all things under
his feet. Isn't that wonderful? All things
right now, the father has put under his feet. Peter put it this way in 1 Peter
3, 22, who has gone into heaven and has said on the right hand
of God, angels, those mighty beings and authorities and powers
being made subject to him. Turn with me to Acts chapter
2. Now the Lord Jesus Christ that
saved me right now is sitting on a throne. Isn't that wonderful? I know
I'm repeating that, but that speaks of his absolute dominion
over everything. He's able to save me from his
throne. He's sitting on a throne. Now
this is the last of Peter's message on the day of Pentecost. And
we read, beginning in verse 30, Therefore, being a prophet, speaking
of David, talking about the resurrection of Christ, and knowing that God
had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins,
according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on the
throne, he, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of
Christ. David knew exactly what he was talking about, according
to that passage of scripture. It wasn't just some kind of stream
of consciousness going on when he didn't know what he was talking
about. He knew exactly what he was talking about. He, seeing this before, spake
of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in
hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God
raised up. whereof we are all witnesses,
therefore being by the right hand of God, exalted. Now, if you want to know what
God's agenda is, this is it. The exaltation, the glory of
his son. Now, if you don't love him, you
don't like that. If you love Him, you love that. You wouldn't want it to be any
other way. This is God's agenda. This is God's purpose. This is
God's reason for all things. The exaltation of His Son at
His own right hand. Does that make you happy? Does
every believer, the exaltation. He's been given a name that's
above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee is
gonna bow, every tongue is gonna confess that Jesus is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father. Oh, how he has exalted him. Peter
goes on to say, Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost,
he has shed forth this which you now see and hear, for David
is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, the Lord
said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thy
foes thy footstool. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly that God has made that same Jesus
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now, gospel preaching
more than anything else is saying who he is. It is that simple. Everything comes from that. He's
both Lord, he's God's Christ, sitting on a throne. He's sitting because whatever
it was he intended to do, he did. Whatever it was he intended
to do, he did. And he now sits at the right
hand of God. Turn with me to Romans 8. Verse 32, He that spared not
his own son. That is an amazing statement,
isn't it? How many times have you seen
your children be disobedient, and you should
be correcting them in some way, and you turn your head? The Father never did that. When
sin was found in His Son, and it was, the sins of God's elect
became His, he spared not his own son. Out of his love for
his people, now this is the thing that I just, I know by faith,
and that's the only way I know it, out of love for me, he spared
him not. Now that's true of every believer.
He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all,
How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God. And what's he doing there? He
makes intercession for us. Now, right now, this is true
for every believer, at God's right hand, he's there ruling
and reigning, but you know what else he's doing? He's making
intercession for you. He's standing as your representative,
and the reason you will persevere all the way to the end is because
he prays for you. Peter, I've prayed for you. Wherefore, he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them. Now, I love this question,
who is he that condemneth? Well, my own heart condemns me.
My conscience condemns me. If you're around me five minutes,
you can figure out a reason why I'd be condemned. But what does
Paul say? Bring it on. There is nothing
that can be laid to my charge because God justified me, because
Christ died for me. And what good would it do me
if he stayed dead? It wouldn't do me good at all.
Yea, rather he's risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Turn to Hebrews 1. Verse three, who, speaking of
the Lord Jesus, the heir, the creator, who being the brightness
of God's glory and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the majesty on high. Now, the first thing that strikes
me about this, there's a lot that strike me about that. This
is such a glorious verse of scripture. But what he did, he did by himself.
That means I didn't have any hand in it. I had absolute, I
had no hand in this. He did this by himself. No help from me. No help from
you. No help from angels. While when he was on the cross,
he had no help from his father. His father forsook him. Remember
when he said, why are you so far from helping me? And the
words of my roaring, the father didn't help him do this. He did
this by himself. And what did he do? He purged
our sins. The sin that you feel heavy about
right now, guess what? He purged it away. It is no more. And you know what he did after
he purged our sins, scripture says? He sat down at the right
hand of the majesty on high because his work was finished. It is finished, was his cry. Now in heaven exalted high. Hallelujah. What a savior. He, when he had by himself purged
our sins, he sat down. Turn to Romans chapter eight. I'd like to know who wrote, I
mean Hebrews chapter eight. I'd like to know who wrote Hebrews,
but we don't know. So evidently it's not an important
force to know, but this, The writer of the Hebrews says, now
the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. That's interesting,
isn't it? This is the sum of everything
I've written up until this point. We have such a high priest who
is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which
the Lord pitched and not man." Now, what kind of, what's he
mean when he says we have such a high priest? Well, chapter
seven is about the priest after the order of Melchizedek, not
a Levitical priest. Now, what could a Levitical priest
do for you in reality? Nothing. He simply represented
what the Lord Jesus Christ would do, but he had his own sins he
had to deal with. He wasn't any better than you.
He couldn't in and of himself represent you before God. He
was a type. And nothing more. Aaron was a
sinful man. Aaron was the great high priest,
but Aaron demonstrated his weakness over and over again. You remember
when he said, bring me your gold earrings, and he forged them
and made the calf? He did it with his own engraving
tool. And then when Moses said, what'd you do? He said, well,
out came this calf. I mean, he demonstrated such
weakness. He was a man, but not Melchizedek. Look in verse 20 of this chapter
7, or verse 19. But the law and the Levitical
priesthood made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better
hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God, insomuch as not
without an oath he was made a priest. For those priests were made with
an oath. No, inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest,
for those priests were made without an oath. But this was an oath
by him that said unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. By so much was Jesus made a surety
of a better testament, a guarantee of a better covenant. And they
truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue
by reason of death. But this man, Because he continueth
ever hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. Seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them, for such a high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily as though
as high priest to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins, and then
for the people's? For this he did once. when he
offered up himself, for the law maketh men high priests which
have infirmity. But the word of the oath, which was since
the law, maketh the son who's consecrated forevermore. Now
of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such
an high priest who is sat on the right hand of the throne
of the majesty in the heavens. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Verse 11, and every priest under the Levitical ministry system, every priest
standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices which can never take away sins. Every day the animal
would be slain, the blood sprinkled, same thing the next day. One
thing those things could not do is take away sins. But this man, the Lord Jesus Christ, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on
the right hand of God. From henceforth, expect him till
his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Now that's what he did when he
sat down. He had perfected forever. You know what that means? That
means I'm looking at some perfect people. I'm looking at some people
that God looks over and sees nothing but perfection. Sees
absolute likeness to His Son. He perfected forever them that
are sanctified. Now that's, is He all in our
salvation? Absolutely. And not only when
he sat down, not only did he sit down having completed our
salvation, listen to this scripture from Acts chapter five, verse
31, from that seated position, Peter said, him has God exalted
with his right hand to be a prince and a savior for to give repentance
to Israel. and forgiveness of sins. Now as He sets on His throne,
you know what He does? He gives Israel, all of Israel,
all of God's elect, every believer, He gives them repentance. And you know what? Your mind
is changed when He gives you repentance. You look at things
in a completely different way because your mind has been changed.
That's what repentance is. Let me remind you, the Bible, I've said this many times, the
Bible not one time says repent of your sins, not once. Y'all have not ever seen it again. I'm not saying sin's okay. Repentance is toward God. It's
a complete change of mind toward God. And he gives the forgiveness
of sins. He's got the authority as God
to say, your sins are forgiven. And they're forgiven. Turn with
me to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. Verse one, wherefore, seeing
we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let
us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily
beset us, unbelief, and let us run with patience the race that
is set before us. You've got a race set before
you, a course to finish. And look how it's to be ran,
looking unto Jesus. Now this is the only time this
word is used in the New Testament, this particular word translated
looking, and it means literally to turn your eyes away from other
things and behold only this one object. Looking unto Jesus. How? and the finisher of our faith. Don't you love him being the
author of our faith, the origin of our faith, the giver of our
faith, the finisher, the perfecter, looking unto Jesus, the author
and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him, the joy of glorifying his father, the joy of saving
his people, who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising, counting as nothing, the shame that he experienced,
and is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Colossians 3, just about finished,
Colossians 3. If you then be risen with Christ,
and every believer was risen with Christ. When he was raised,
I was raised. If you be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection, not affections,
your affection. on things above, not on things
on the earth, for you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God." Now, I love that statement. I need to be reminded of it.
You're dead. Now, if you praise a dead man,
how much is he affected by it? If you scold a dead man, if you
speak harshly to a dead man, how much is he affected by it?
I love that song we sing, rich as I heed not, nor man's empty
praise. Thou, mine inheritance, now and
always. I'm dead, and what this world
has to say, I'm not really interested in it. I'm dead. You're dead. Set your mind on things above,
where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Paul put it this
way, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified, dead to me,
and I unto the world. Now, in closing, let's go back
to our text in Mark chapter 16. So then, verse 19, after the
Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat
on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached
everywhere. Now, I've been thinking about
this the last two or three days. People have all kinds of ways
they're gonna wanna try to, we need to figure out better ways
to reach people. No, you don't. Preach the gospel. It please God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. Is that all you got?
Yep. Shouldn't you have anything else? Nope. The preaching of
the gospel. That's what he told them. Look
what he said in verse 15. Go you into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature. Verse 20, and they went forth
and preached everywhere. the Lord working with them. Now
here's what is so glorious. As he sits at the right hand
of the father, the place of all authority, the place of all power,
he's still working. He's working right now. He's calling out his people,
and he does so with these signs. We consider this last week, verse
17, and these signs shall follow them that believe. And this is
through the Lord working. In my name, they'll cast out
devils. And every man by nature is under the dominion of the
devil, and he's cast out by the preaching of the gospel. And
they shall speak with new tongues, and we do speak a new language.
A language that wasn't understood before, it's understood now.
The language of the gospel, the language of grace. And they shall
take up serpents and they won't affect them. Remember Paul in
Acts chapter 28, when he just shook it off. The point is all
the effects of the serpent have no effect on us. Sin is completely
put away. It's gone. It's not there. Nothing deadly shall hurt them. They'll drink any deadly thing.
It shall not hurt them We're immortal You know, we have spirits
that can never die now going into the second death and nothing
can hurt the believer And the sick they shall lay their
hands on the sick and they shall recover That's somebody believing
the gospel these Signs physically were with the apostles, but the
Lord's doing them right now as he sits on his throne, ruling
and reigning. I, I love the sitting savior
sitting on a throne in absolute control, therefore able to call
out his people. Praise his blessed name. Let's
pray. Lord, how we thank you for our
Redeemer, thy blessed son, the Lord Jesus. How we thank you
that he's sitting on a throne in absolute control. And Lord,
how we thank you that he sat down because he completely finished
our salvation and there's absolutely nothing for us to do, but to
rest in him. Lord, give each one of us. For Christ's sake, the grace
to rest in our sitting Savior. And Lord, give us the grace to
go into all the world and preach your gospel to every creature. Bless this message for the Lord's
sake. In his name we pray, amen.