The sermon explores the ascension and exaltation of Christ to the throne of God. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the doctrine of the ascension and its significance in the believer's life. The sermon highlights various reasons why the ascension is important and discusses Christ's threefold office as prophet, priest, and king. It also encourages believers to wait upon the Lord and to be united in prayer while eagerly expecting the second coming of Christ.

Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts and our focal passage this morning will be verses 9 down through 14 but I want to back up to verse seven to grab some context and Luke writes these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in verse seven And he said to them it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Now when he had spoken these things while they watched he was taken up and 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 who also said men of Galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven this same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet which is near Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey and when they had entered they went up into the upper room where they were staying staying Peter James John and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartholomew and Matthew James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the zealot and Judas the son of James these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers.

Let's pray. Most Holy Father we come before your word this morning and ask you, Lord, to guide us into all truth by your Spirit. Lord, as we see here in the book of Acts, these disciples were waiting for the power of God through the Holy Spirit to come upon them, to equip them for the great work and the ministry that you had called them to. Lord, we stand looking back on these things and understanding that you have given us the Holy Spirit. Lord, we have been endowed with this power so that we would go forth and be a testimony to all the world of Jesus Christ and his resurrection and his ascension and also his return Lord we have come this morning Desiring Lord to see Christ seated upon His throne.

That is where He is, and that's what we want to see. We ask this in Christ's name, amen. You may be seated. This morning, my great desire, as we look at this passage, is that we see Christ ascended and exalted to the throne of God. Christ ascended and exalted to the throne of God.

If I could take your minds and your eyes and your heart and just focus them there, that would be my great design for you this morning. Because when our eyes and our hearts and all that we are, when we're focused upon the ascended and exalted Christ seated upon his throne everything else fades. All the things in this world that would distract us from that great end would fade away and we would be we would we would go forth back into this world with such authority because we have the authority of Christ because he is seated upon his throne our heart should be void of all anxieties, all worry, all stress should be run out of us. We should be emptied of these things when we see Christ exalted and seated upon his throne. Now in the book of Acts, we enter into this narrative and the unfolding of the story of the early church and their transition period from the old covenant into the into the new covenant and it's really in one sense challenging to preach for myself personally because we must discern between what is descriptive and what is prescriptive.

I mentioned this last week the things that that are just being described for us in this narrative these are the things that happen and then the difference between that and what is prescribed for us that we should do and that we should emulate. Unlike 1 and 2 Peter which we just came through which was very didactic, very doctrinal, very clear, do this, don't do that, it was very very clear. Peter wrote those epistles to instruct us and to correct us but the book of Acts tells us what happened. There are commands, there are things for us to emulate, but when we study a narrative, we come at it somewhat differently than we would when we interpret, say, the Psalms or even the Book of Romans that Scott is doing. So I want us to keep in our mind as we make our way through this wonderful book and even this passage this morning, we're going to see many wonderful and amazing things.

But what I want us to do as we look at these amazing things, the design is this, that it would bolster our faith and that it would encourage us as we continue to take the gospel to the world. That's really this great end, as we see this great narrative unfold before us and we see the acts of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Apostles through the Holy Spirit of God that it would encourage us when we see a man like Peter taken from some from someone who denied the Lord Jesus Christ and now the disciples who are in this room they and we see them at other times when they were somewhat hunkered down if you will and we see this great transformation take place in his life and in the in the life of all of the Apostles and the disciples that that same bolstering of faith and that great encouragement for us to continue in like manner as we see after chapter 2 when they have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God when been had been filled with the power of God to take the testimony into the world. That's really the design that I have in my mind and I believe the design in Luke's mind is that As we see this story, this narrative, this true account of what took place, that we would be greatly encouraged.

That this great encouragement which began with the promise of the Father and the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ who has thrown in heaven would fill us with great boldness and zeal to take that same gospel to this lost world without fear. Fear is not of God. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. So as we go forth through this, may that be the result. So as we enter into this, we see the disciples back in verse 6 had asked this question, hey, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom?

And Jesus had a totally different design and He wanted them to understand it's not for you to know this, it's not for you to know the times and the seasons Which the Father has put in his own authority But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me You shall be witnesses to me You shall be witnesses to me That is the command We shall be We shall be and After he says these things and and almost as if while he's saying these things, it says in verse 9, Now when he had spoken these things while they watched, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. This is what is known as the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's interesting as we consider this the ascension of Christ that though no one was allowed to see the resurrection of Christ yet all of the 11 disciples and the extended group of disciples were allowed to see the ascension of Christ up into a cloud and into heaven. John 662, Jesus asked this question after a very difficult passage for them which we'll actually look at for our passage for the Lord's Supper.

But in John 662, Jesus says this, what then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before will you be able to handle that He had spoken there just before this in John chapter 6 about eating his flesh and drinking his blood and if you don't do that you have no part with me. Does this offend you? And then he says, what then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before? Little did they know that they would see that, that they would see the risen Christ. They would see him not only risen but ascending to the Father.

In John 17, Jesus prayed this in his high priestly prayer in verses 4 and 5. He said, I have glorified. He's talking to the Father. We get this wonderful glimpse of us entering into the prayer of the Godhead. It's glorious and this is what he says.

He says, I've glorified you on earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do and now, oh Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was." Jesus had had the full glory of the Father before the world was. He had now been humbled in his, what we call the humiliation of Christ, in the sense that he humbled himself, he became obedient, even as a bondservant to the very point of death. We saw his humiliation in the sense that he served mankind, he washed the disciples' feet, he healed, he did all of these things in his humiliation, he was mocked, he was beaten, he was bound, he was crucified, he was scourged, all of these things. He says, Father, glorify me together with yourself for the glory which I had with you before the world was and this is the doctrine of the Ascension and it's so important and there are many reasons for this I list I just want to name eight reasons that I came up with and there's more I could just stand here and list to you reason after reason after reason of why the doctrine of the ascension is so important But it's also so neglected We often talk about the resurrection of Christ Essential absolutely yes and amen But the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ is also essential.

And it's something that we need to get our minds around, and we need to look at, and we need to thank God for. So, these eight reasons. The ascension, it testifies that Jesus had come down from the Father. In other words, His origin was not of earth but of heaven. You see, that's what He's praying in His high priestly prayer.

I have finished the work which you gave Me to do and now Father glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was his origin was heaven and He was returning to heaven from whence he came Number two the ascension testifies again to the acceptance of his sacrifice. Josh mentioned that this morning. The resurrection, he was raised for our justification, it says, the scripture says. And now we see that the ascension also testifies of the acceptance of what he had done as Jesus prayed again in John 17, I have finished the work which you have given me to do, and now glorify me. And he does that.

Before the disciples who were standing there on the mount of Olivet, they see that Christ is being ascended and risen up into a cloud and received into heaven to his throne Number three the Ascension testifies to the kingdom Testifies that to this kingdom That he has been given in other words. He's not just going nowhere He has a kingdom come and sit at my right hand until I make your enemies all enemies your footstool This is the speech of a king upon his throne That's what it testifies to number four the ascension shows that Jesus did not continue to live on the earth and die a natural death as is the way of all mankind. It was a testimony that he was the first fruits of the resurrection but he's also the first fruits of being ascended into the eternal home and to our eternal home. He goes, the Bible says in John 14, I have gone to prepare a place for you, I go to prepare a place for you that where I am there you may be also. That's what it testifies to.

Number five, the ascension of Jesus Christ demonstrates his rightful place at the right hand of God the Father. That's his rightful place. He is the King of Kings and he's the Lord of lords and he is at the right hand of the Father. Would you turn your eyes there? Think of that last song we just sang about saying that we look up and see him there.

That's my desire. Look up and see him there. He has risen indeed and he has ascended and he is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Number six, the ascension of Jesus Christ shows that he is Lord over the natural order by ascending into heaven and passing from the seen world into the unseen world it's not this imaginary imaginary place it he has gone to a place number seven the ascension fulfills Psalm 110 verses 1 & 2 turn there Psalm 110 verses 1 & 2 and this is what it says David writes the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool the Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion rule in the midst of your enemies that's what the psalmist writes God the Father is speaking this regarding Jesus Christ you rule them and that's what he does. You're sitting at the right hand of God, the Lord Jesus is, and guess what?

We sang it there that we are actually in Christ. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ because we are his body. He is the head of the church and he is seated at the right hand of God And do you understand that that's why we have such authority is? Because our head is seated at the right hand of God the Father We have all authority Jesus said that and I'm gonna get to that in Matthew at the Great Commission all authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth number eight the ascension shows that Jesus continues to make intercession for us he is seated at the right hand of the Father and brothers and sisters I want this to be an encouragement to us to pray to pray to God the Father by the Holy Spirit and be and be interceded for by Jesus Christ who is seated right with the Father That's what the early church did the early church when they saw the resurrected Christ and then they saw him ascending We are gonna get to it but here in just a moment the first thing they do They wait just like he said to do and they pray They didn't see that their prayers like what's the point of praying he's on the throne he's sovereign why pray that's not that was not the response they actually prayed more diligently they prayed more often they they worship God more and more and more and they prayed more and more because they understood that they had access their prayers were were girded about and entered into with the triune God.

Think about that when you pray you're not praying alone You're praying in accordance with and in agreement with and in the company of the Triune God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, you are entering into that communion with them when you pray. That's amazing. I don't think we fully grasp that. How would our prayers change if we prayed with that in our minds?

I think we would pray more like the early disciples. I think we would have the boldness as they did as they would go out into the very face of death and preach the gospel. They would go fearlessly because they understand that all authority had been given unto their Lord. You see this doctrine of the Ascension is one of the most notable and as I mentioned the most often neglected doctrines but the ascension of Christ is not a side note it's not something that's just oh yeah he ascended but one of the great doctrines of the risen Christ. He's not only risen as I said for our justification but he has also ascended to the right hand of the Father until all of his enemies are made his footstool and so he ascended to a particular place and not just out of sight.

He didn't just resurrect, show himself, and then disappear. But when he ascended, they saw it. It established in their hearts and minds the truthfulness of his claims. You see, when He had resurrected, the first thing that they thought was they were seeing a ghost or a phantom, they didn't understand. He said, no, touch me.

Touch my hands, touch my side. See, He ate with them. This was to bolster their faith and to encourage them. But then he showed himself to all of those disciples on the mount as he ascended to the Father and as he was giving them the Great Commission. And it helped them to understand that he didn't just disappear, but he ascended to the Father in heaven and we now have access we have such a connection to heaven do you understand the connection to heaven that you have always especially when we pray you see we look at these things and we understand the importance of it, but do we understand that we do have scriptural reference for it?

I was amazed at how many times in my study of this that this instance of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned in the Bible. It really amazed me how often Psalm 110 is quoted. I didn't count all of them but it's a lot. And reference to that is found not only in the New Testament but also in the Old Testament regarding what was going to happen. It's often repeated theme in sermons of Peter in the book of Acts, It's an often repeated theme in Paul and Ephesians.

It's repeated in Hebrews. It's repeated in 1 Peter and many other places and as I said in the Old Testament. Let's begin with just a few and I'm going to show you some of these. This first one is really glorious. It's found in Daniel 7 13 and 14 and when I read this I get such a sense of the awe of God.

I love the name of God in this passage. Listen to what it says. Daniel says, I was watching in the night. This is Daniel 7, 13, and 14. I was watching in the night vision and behold one like the Son of Man Coming with the clouds of heaven he came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people's nations and languages Should serve him his dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed I think we could just stop right there.

Do you see that picture? We see one, Daniel sees one like the Son of Man and he's coming in the clouds and he's coming to the Ancient of Days. And what does the Ancient of Days say here? It says that it was given to him, the one who was in the clouds, it was given to him dominion and glory. Is that not what he was praying in John 17?

Dominion and glory, and he was given what? He was given a kingdom. Why? Because he's a king. That all people's nations and languages is that not what Acts chapter 1 verse 8 speaks about?

That you shall give testimony of me in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. And even this morning I've said it a hundred times and I want to say it all the time, we have such a variety within this body of Christ. It is a testimony of the truthfulness of the word of God. We see it right here. We see peoples and nations and languages and that they are serving him.

This is a fulfillment of what Daniel saw this morning. It's glorious to behold. And notice what he says about this this dominion and his everlasting dominion which he has. He says, which shall not pass away and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed Brothers and sisters nations rise and fall it happens over and over and over again They do not last the nations of this earth that are created and established by men do not last because God does not want your focus and all of your heart and all of your effort to be behind a national kingdom an earthly kingdom he wants your focus as Christians to be upon the kingdom which never fades and which will never be destroyed. There will be no enemy who will march into this kingdom and destroy this kingdom.

Every other kingdom an army or someone they would either fall from within or a kingdom and his army would come and destroy that kingdom from without. Not this kingdom. This kingdom only advances. It only grows. And even in death, the kingdom of God grows.

It cannot be diminished, not even by one. When a saint dies, he just goes from this part of the kingdom to that part of the kingdom is the same kingdom Because Jesus said all authority of his has been given to me in heaven and on earth Where is his authority lacking There is not as one man said and I've repeated it last week I believe there's not one square inch that Jesus does not say mine. It is all mine. He is the King of Kings and he is the Lord of Lords and his kingdom shall not be destroyed. As Psalm 110, I said it was quoted many times, and the Lord said to my Lord, this is how Jesus stumbled up the Pharisees and the religious leaders, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.

Do you acknowledge, do you see, that that is what Jesus Christ is doing get your eyes off what's going on in this world what you're seeing is God abandoning the world to their own ways that's Romans chapter 1 he is turning them over to their fleshly desires He's turning them over to their own ways. And why is he doing that? It almost seems like, wow, this world's out of control. No, this is fulfillment of Psalm 110. He is bringing all of his enemies and he's making them his footstool.

Their rebellion does not hurt God's kingdom. Their rebellion does not make the kingdom of God weak. Their rebellion is proof that Jesus Christ is Lord. Their rebellion is just showing that Psalm 119 is being fulfilled. God is making his enemies his footstool it will not be diminished Acts 7 55 but he Stephen being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said, look I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

This is part and proof of the ascension of Jesus Christ. There Stephen was being stoned and God gave him this glorious vision where the heavens were departed and he could see Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of the Father because he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Ephesians 1 17 Paul says that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give to you this is his prayer for the church that he may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints? And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe? Can I just say that again?

And what is the exceeding greatness? The exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come and he put all things under his feet and he gave him to be the head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who feels all in all Is there any question about the rule and the dominion and the glory and the honor of Christ? Not in Paul's mind, not in Luke's mind, not in Peter's mind, and brothers and sisters not in your mind. Jesus is King and there is none other. Hebrews 1 3 tells us the same thing who being the brightness of his glory and the expressed image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high Jesus himself says in Luke 22 69 hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.

This was nothing that was not prophesied about. It was not something that was just kind of done a little bit later. It's not a side note. It's a theme throughout all of Scripture that Jesus would ascend to his rightful throne. And he would be with his father and he would rule over all things.

We need to stop living as if Jesus has a different kingdom than the one that we're in. We need to stop living as if we are fearful of the nations of this world. We need to stop living as if Jesus was not King of Kings and Lord of Lords over the kingdoms of the earth. He is King over all. Why is this so important?

Because this teaches us of Christ's threefold office. You see, he is not only a prophet and not only is he a priest, but he is now the exalted king. This is his office. He is at the right hand of the Father according to the Scriptures. As Peter says in Acts 2 36 he says therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ he has been given a kingdom and all of his enemies will be made his footstool.

I'm gonna say that over and over again. You know you have to say something over and over again for it to really sink in. I'm just gonna keep saying it until we start living as if it is true because it is true. He is seated at the right hand of the Father until all of his enemies are made his footstool. You see, he's been given a kingdom and it speaks to the fact that Christ's work of redemption is complete.

He's seated at the right hand of the Father. What did Jesus say in his high priestly prayer? I have finished the work which you've given me to do. And now he is seated. The act of sitting indicates that he has received authority.

Is this not what He told the disciples in Matthew 28, 18-20, the Great Commission? And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. That should settle upon your minds. All authority in heaven and on earth is His. And then what does He say?

And then He says, go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I'm with you always even to the end of the age. Amen. Amen. And so be it. That's what we should do.

Why is this then that we live as if he has not been given all authority in heaven and on earth? Again, there's not one square inch that is not under the absolute authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and because Christ has this authority He has the right to look at us and say, go. You go and preach the gospel. You go and you baptize. You go and you teach.

This we must do until he returns. And he will return in the same way in which he left. Too often we share the testimony of Jesus Christ as if he did not have all authority. Brothers and sisters, we go with all authority. Have you ever seen a dad?

I've seen this before. Dad sends a young child to tell an older child to do something this young child you say go and tell them what I said it's very interesting to watch this take place usually what happens is the older child questions the younger child. Says who? And what does that young child say? Daddy said.

And all of a sudden something happens. That older child hears what the young child said and There has been a great authority come in with those words. It's not the authority of the little child It's the authority of the father that came with the little child You see that is the way it is. Jesus says, all authority in heaven and earth is mine. Go.

Go, and when someone questions you, what do you say? You say, God said. It's not about Trent said or you said. It's about who says. It is about God says.

All of a sudden the words, our words, will carry with it the authority. Listen, we go with the authority of Christ himself who has all authority and go in the confidence of that authority and if we do not obey then those who and if they do not Obey, then those who are disobedient will have to give an account to God That's the way authority works We should go with the same boldness as Peter on the day of Pentecost. And the apostles did in the face of the rulers of Jerusalem that we see in Acts chapter 4. He says Peter responds to them when they tell him, Stop preaching in his name! And what does Peter say?

He says, Whether is it right in your sight, in the sight of God, to listen to you more than God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have heard and seen. You see, that is how we go. We go speaking with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when they stop us and when they tell us to stop speaking in His name, we say just what Peter said.

Whether is it right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. We will go in His name because we have all authority in His name. Does this mean that we will not be persecuted and imprisoned and tortured and put to death because of these things? No. It does not mean that.

But it does mean this, that we go with all authority. We go with all authority. We do not cower in the face of lesser authorities. We go and preach with the one who said, all authority is mine. That's how we go.

So how does this apply to us in this first main point here? I believe it applies to us in this, that the ascension gives us the assurance that we have the authority to go forth with the gospel to all the earth and to command everyone to obey the gospel. That's how it applies to us. Do not cower, but brothers and sisters be encouraged with great boldness. Just as God the Father had promised and Jesus had promised, the promise of the Father, of the Holy Spirit, will give you power.

We already have it We look back on that and we are in dude with power from on high Look with me now in verse 10 and it says and they look steadfastly towards heaven and And he went up behold and when he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel Who also said men of Galilee? Why do you stand gazing up into heaven this same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will go in or will so? Come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven." And in this part of verse 11 here, we see this somewhat of an angelic rebuke to these men. Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? What a natural thing to do.

Christ is speaking to them the Great Commission you will be my witnesses as he starts to ascend up into a cloud what would you do we would all do this but we aren't only to do this. Can you imagine them though that they're wanting to see this last glimpse of Jesus? I think they knew this was it. This would be the last time they saw their Lord. And they looked just to see as the cloud went out.

Have you ever done that? You've maybe gone out to see a sunset and it just goes down and you... One more glimpse of that glory. But what they didn't understand is it was getting ready to get a whole lot better. And Jesus himself said this, it's actually better for you that I go and I will send the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, this promise of God that would be in us They stood trying to get this glimpse as one commentator noted He says there might have been an impropriety in their earnest desire for the mere bodily presence of the Lord Jesus when it was more important that he should be in heaven.

We may see here also that it is our duty not to stand in idleness and to gaze even towards heaven. We, as well as the apostles, have a great work to do and we should be actively engaged in it without delay. And then they give us this promise of the second coming of Christ. It's another promise of the Father. Read the scriptures and soak in all those promises And hang your heart and your life upon them because they're all true and he will fulfill every one of them The promises of God to us are yes, and amen We can hold on to these promises and this is another one.

You see, the same manner in which He was ascended, He will come again. What hope and encouragement that this gives us as we go about to do our duty. So what is our duty then? Well there's a few things that I've listed here in my notes. Number one, our duty is not to stand gazing into heaven and to wait, but to occupy until he comes.

That's what he tells us in Luke 12 42, who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Again, I wanna say this, what is our duty? Believe the promise of God. With as much certainty as we see that the first advent of Christ was fulfilled, we will see the promise of the Spirit being poured out on believers, we see that that was fulfilled.

So likewise the second coming of Christ will likewise be fulfilled. This third little part of our duty is this. Live in hopeful expectation of this promise of his return. That's how true believers live. We live always with the hopeful expectation of his return and when he returns We will not shrink back in fear, but we will be delighted to see him come That's how we should live What does that look like true living out of your hopeful expectation of the promise will be seen in our faithful?

Obedience of being his witnesses everywhere we go Doing our part of taking and supporting the testimony of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Remember, Christ is worthy to receive all nations of the earth as his inheritance. You remember what we read last week, that it's too small a thing for you to only receive of the house of, I think it was the house of Jacob, but I shall give you all of the earth, all nations shall be yours. Therefore, the believers look for the return of Christ and they look for it and they long for it. It is a day of eager expectation.

And the fourth thing that I mentioned here about our duty in light of this is expect scoffers. That's a little more negative. But you know what, if you expect something to happen, it doesn't shock you when it does happen. Expect scoffers. We learned about this in 2 Peter, remember?

2 Peter 3, 3 and 4, knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their own lust and saying, where is the promise of his coming? He's told us exactly what's going to happen. We're seeing these exact things happening. There's going to be these scoffers. They're going to walk according to their own lust.

Does anybody see this happening? It's everywhere and Then they will question us and scoff at us. Where is the promise of his coming? Well, let me tell you something when my God makes a promise He always keeps his promise and he is not slack concerning his promises some men count slackness But it's long-suffering to us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. So dear scoffer, you should be glad that his coming seems to be delayed.

My second main point is this in verses 12 through 14. After this glorious ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and this great encouragement that they have and that we see the risen Christ is seated upon a throne till he makes his enemies his footstool, I want you to note the response of the disciples to the question and the declaration of the angels. Remember they question the angel or they they question about this the angel said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? And then they told them he's going to return in the same manner in which he came, what is their first response to these things? The disciples returned and waited at Jerusalem just like Jesus said to do.

So their first response was obedience. You see that's always the first response of a believer is that we desire to obey our risen Lord. If he is king and children listen to me, many of you young children have made professions of faith that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. What does that mean? It means that you are publicly pronouncing that I want to obey Jesus Christ in all things.

You won't do it perfectly, But it means that your desire is to always do that. To always do that thing that he tells you to do. And here in this case, I mean think about it, here we have the disciples, he just told them to go. He said, you're going to be witnesses to me, but he tells them to wait. You know, as I was telling you earlier, this is a narrative passage of Scripture.

This book is narrative in nature. We don't take every little thing to try to make it a command, but I believe there's great instruction in all that we see. I believe there's an instruction for us at this point. They were told to wait. You see, back in Luke 24, which speaks of this same passage, we're told, Now It came to pass while he was that while he blessed them that he was parted from them and carried up into heaven and they worshiped him and Returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God Amen, you see they did not do their own will, but they sought to do the will of the Father and of Christ his Son.

And I believe that we have some very helpful instruction for us here in this passage. As we seek to follow Christ, we need to understand that there are times when our Lord would have us to go, and there are times that our Lord would tell us to wait. Paul the Apostle experienced the same thing as he kept trying to go towards the east he was hindered by the Holy Spirit of God. Why? Because he needed to go to Macedonia.

There are times in your life when you maybe try to do something and you feel that it is constantly hindered that you're doing that thing. Well I want you to know something that there are times that the Lord says wait. There are times that the Lord may turn you to a different direction. I have found in my life that the Lord rarely works in the ways that I think he will. Hey it's not wrong to have great desires and great ambitions for the Lord and to say, hey, I'm planning out this thing.

I want to see the gospel go in this way. I want to minister to this person. I want to do this. I want to do that. Those are good desires and good ambitions, but just know this, Rarely will those things ever turn out the way you think they will you know why?

Because God's got a much better plan than you did Aren't you glad of that aren't you glad that God doesn't submit to our plans, but we submit to his plans How foolish would we be to think that when we pray, we change God's plans to match ours. Lord, forgive us. May we always pray, saying, Lord, nevertheless, not my will be done. We should seek to desire to do his will in all things. And there are times when the Lord says wait wait for the promise of the father psalm 2714 says this wait on the Lord be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart wait.

I say on the Lord Psalm 135 and 6 says I wait for the Lord my soul waits and in his word I do hope my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning yes more than those who watch for the morning. I wonder sometimes about Isaiah chapter 40 and verses 29 through 31 if it is a reference to this passage here in the book of Acts he says this he gives power to the weak and to those who have no Mike he increases strength Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." Can you imagine what would have happened if the disciples had not waited?

It would have been most likely what happened to the Israelites when they decided when the glory of God had departed from them because of their disobedience and they said no now we will go into battle what happened they were defeated they tried to go without God see our our first response is obedience Lord you say wait I'm gonna wait. You say go I'm gonna go. You say not there not there. Wait upon the Lord. Wait upon the Lord.

Do not grow weary in waiting upon the Lord. Listen it's His kingdom not ours. We are subjects of His kingdom, we have the glorious blessings of being in the kingdom, but remember God is not slack concerning His promise. These disciples were learning This truth and they would soon receive the promised power of the holy spirit that would in live in them to Accomplish the great work that God had called them to do if they tried to go without that power. It would have been disastrous Wait upon the Lord They waited in the upper room there.

There is nothing definitive that would prove that this upper room here is the one where they had the Last Supper. But I do believe, personally, I believe that it is. And I think as they were waiting, Many of those things that the Lord Jesus taught them were coming to their minds as they were considering these things and we see here That they continued with one in with one accord in prayer and supplication They were they were thinking about all of these things and Jesus said not many days from now You know that they wonder I don't know if they knew that Pentecost, if they were thinking exactly the right 50 days from the resurrection. I don't know if that was in their mind or not, but they were waiting upon the Lord. And brothers and sisters, can I encourage you to wait upon the Lord?

We have an exalted and ascended Christ who is seated upon his throne and it should be our good pleasure to wait upon the Lord and to do it his way and not our way. You see, they returned to Jerusalem in obedience to him. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying. And here, I'm not going to get into all this for the sake of time, but he lists all of the disciples who were there. Of course, Judas was not there.

He had already gone out and hung himself, according to the Scriptures. But who was present there were the 11 disciples and we have some of the women who were there and the mother of Jesus was there and we have his brothers who were there. What an encouragement that is. You see, just previously these brothers, these half-brothers if you will of Jesus, they did not believe in him. They, in a sense, mocked him.

Gone up to Jerusalem and show yourself. But here they are now, in the upper room with the disciples, and they're continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication." What a great encouragement it is. Can I just say in waiting upon the Lord, it's interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ was patient with his brothers in the sense because he's sovereign over salvation? He did not bring them to faith in Him immediately. And I don't know why, but I just want to say to you this morning, it's not in my notes, but just something.

You've been perhaps praying for somebody for a long time, maybe a brother or sister or mom or daddy or children or whatever it may be. Can I just say don't get discouraged in waiting? Jesus is Lord. He will save them in His good time. But as we wait, notice what the disciples did.

They continued with one accord in prayer. While we wait, pray. Continue in your prayers. There's a great lesson for us here. We too cannot, we must not rely upon our own strength to live the life and to see people come to Christ from our own strength and our own power.

It's not within our natural power to go beyond what God has given us to do. We cannot go beyond that. We must wait upon the Lord. We must wait from the power of the Holy Spirit to equip us to do what He's called us to do. But brothers and sisters, we must walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh as Galatians 5 tells us.

But as we were waiting, let us be praying. We see that in verse 14 and notice just in this last little part here, just their unity and their praying. It's something that so delights my soul is when this church gathers to pray on Wednesday night specifically there is such unity in our prayers that is a gift of God not all churches have that and if you're not here on a Wednesday night and you're missing this notice what it says these all continued with one accord in prayer. Can I give a general rebuke? On Wednesday nights these all are not here.

You're part of the body of Christ and I know everybody can't be here every time. I know sometimes work hinders you or some other things sickness or whatever it may be But I want you to realize something, you are missing out. And in fact, we are missing out who are here. Because you know what? There is something wonderful about when all of God's people gather in unity in their prayers.

Matthew Henry notes this. He said God can find hiding places for his people, speaking about the upper room there. He says they made supplication. All God's people are praying people. It was now a time of trouble and danger with the disciples of Christ, but if any But if any is afflicted let him pray that will silence cares and fears They had now a great work to do and before they entered upon it They were earnest in their prayers to God for his presence.

They were waiting for the descent of the Spirit and abounding in prayer. Those are the best frame to receive spiritual blessings who are in a praying frame. That needs to be underlined and remembered. Those are in the best frame to receive spiritual blessings who are in a praying frame. Christ had promised shortly to send the Holy Ghost that promise was not to do away with prayer but to quicken and encourage it.

A little company united in love, exemplary in their conduct, fervent in prayer, and wisely zealous to promote the calls of Christ are likely to increase rapidly." What would happen, Hope Baptist Church, if we did likewise? If we gather together with such great unity and commonality of purpose and were diligent in our prayers, Would we see increase rapidly in the calls of Christ in our community and in our land? Let this be very instructive for us today. We too have a great work to do which the power of the Holy Spirit is needed to accomplish. We should be continually about the business of prayer and not just prayer but prayer with one accord for one cause.

And let us be much encouraged that as we pray we will find the Lord ready to hear and ready to answer our prayers. As one commentator said, they were of one mind. The word denotes the entire harmony of their views and of their feelings. There was no schism, no division, no divided interest, no discordant purposes. This is a beautiful picture of devotion and a specimen of what social worship ought to be and a beautiful illustration of Psalm 133 which says behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

So brothers and sisters in my closing statement to you, may the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ give us great encouragement and great boldness to go forth in his name. Do not be afraid to speak in the name of Jesus because you go with all authority of heaven and earth. So go therefore and preach the gospel to all creatures because Christ has ascended and he is exalted to his throne go therefore let's pray Father, Lord, You have helped us today. Lord, Your Word has gone forth and I pray that it would accomplish the perfect work which you have given it. Lord, I thank you for your people.

I thank you for the encouragement they are to me and Lord even as I see the encouragements one of another and Lord I pray for many things for this flock. I pray Lord for their encouragement and boldness and preaching the gospel and I also pray Lord for a great unity in this body That we would be so unified for one common purpose Lord would you grant that through the power of your Holy Spirit? Make us a praying people and Make us unified in our prayers And what I pray that you would go with us as you have commanded us to go And we ask this in Christ's name, amen.