The sermon by Peter Allison, titled 'Christ's Ascension,' explores the ascension of Jesus Christ and its theological significance. The speaker highlights that Christ's ascension is described as a passive action where Jesus was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of sight. The ascension signifies Jesus' exaltation to the right hand of God, a position of authority where He intercedes for believers. The sermon references various scriptures, including Mark 16, Acts 2, and Romans 8, affirming Jesus' completed work and His continual intercession for humanity. The speaker discusses the significance of the 40-day period post-resurrection, drawing parallels with biblical instances of testing and preparation, such as Moses' time on the mountain and Israel's wilderness journey. Additionally, the sermon connects Daniel 7's vision to Christ's ascension, depicting Jesus being given dominion and glory in heaven. The sermon urges believers to live with their minds set on heavenly things, understanding Christ's kingdom as one of righteousness, peace, and joy, and to be always prepared for His return.

Christ's ascension. It's very simply described. Here He was taken up. He was taken up. Notice it's passive.

And a cloud received him out of their sight. That's all that's said. He was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. Now where did he go? Well, he went up into heaven, of course.

Where is that? Well, it's interesting that the Old Testament, when it speaks of the hand of God, speaks about His providential hand. All the things that He brought to pass. The judgments, the blessings, and so forth. But every time the New Testament speaks about the hand of God, it is always as the place where Christ is at the right hand of God.

Mark tells us, Mark 16, and if you have a Bible that hasn't been tampered with, and that actually has Mark 16 in it, tells us that After the Lord had spoken to them, after He had given them that, what we call the Great Commission, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Acts 2, as we'll come to in a little bit, in Peter's sermon at Pentecost, said that therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Spirit, which He poured out. He's exalted to the right hand of God. Now, He's always sitting at the right hand of God, except when Stephen saw Him. As Stephen was about to be killed, become the first martyr after Christ, to die for the faith.

He looked up into heaven being filled with the Holy Spirit and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God as if ready to receive Him. But everywhere else Christ is mentioned as being seated at the right hand of God. In fact, it's made a point of His sitting that He has finished his work and has therefore sat down. Romans 8 says, Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen, and who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Paul told the Colossians to put our minds on things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. In Hebrews, it tells us the reason He is sitting is after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. Unlike the priests, their work was never done. They were continually offering sacrifices which couldn't atone for sin. Christ's sacrifice was complete and so therefore he sat down at the right hand of God.

So Jesus went up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. He was installed in His mediatorial kingdom. Acts 2.32, just before the verse we read earlier, says that Jesus, God, raised up, of which we are all witnesses, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit. He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.

Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Jesus. God has installed His King on His hill, on His throne, His mediatorial throne. Now, there's also in being raised up, it says that He was taken up. He was passively taken up. It didn't say that He went up.

He was taken up. And then a cloud received Him or lifted Him up. This cloud I think is a significant feature. It is the, I believe, the glory cloud that filled the temple, that covered Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration, the cloud that led the children of Israel, that visible representation of the glory of God. But there's a particularly relevant passage in Deuteronomy, I mean in Daniel 7.

If you turn there, I'd like to go through that because it tells us more about this inauguration of Christ and His mediatorial kingdom. Daniel chapter 7. I won't read the beginning part, just summarize it. Daniel has this dream, this vision, and he sees these animals, these four great beasts coming up, and they're very different. There's a lion that had eagle's wings, and then after that there's a second beast that's a bear, and it has three ribs in its mouth and teeth.

They said to it, arise and devour much flesh. And then there was another animal. He saw a leopard which had wings and had four heads and dominion was given to this beast. And then he saw a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong, it had huge iron teeth, it was devouring, breaking in pieces, trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it.

It had ten horns, And I was considering the horns, Daniel said, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words." So those, we know, those animals represented these four ancient kingdoms of the ancient world that Daniel spoke about in other places as well. The lion was the kingdom of Babylon. The bear was the Amidopersian Empire. The leopard was the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great.

And the fourth beast here is the Roman Empire. And these were four great kingdoms. Each of them were called God's servant in one sense, or the Babylonians and the Medes were, because they were doing God's work. They were God's instrument of judgment. And yet, because they were pagan, did not acknowledge God, they were destroyed.

And so we have this in verse 9, Daniel 7-9. These four ancient empires have been destroyed. And I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated, God the Father. And His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire.

A fiery stream issued. And there came forth from Him A thousand thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated and the books were opened. And I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking.

I watched till that beast was slain, and its body destroyed and giving to the burning fire." That's the Roman Empire. Daniel says he saw it destroyed. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. And I was watching in the night visions, And behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven." You notice this Son of Man, Jesus Christ, is not coming to earth in the clouds. He is coming in the clouds to heaven, to this throne.

Just like Acts described. 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. They brought the Son of Man near to the Ancient of Days. And then to Him, to the Son of Man, was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, 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." So this ascension of Christ that Luke describes is from earth.

It was very simple. But this is what was happening in heaven. The Son of Man came up in the clouds to the Ancient of Days, and to Him is given dominion and glory and a kingdom such that all the peoples and nations and languages should serve Him. And it's an everlasting dominion that will never pass away." That might raise a question. Doesn't Christ reign until He's put all enemies under His feet and then He gives that kingdom over to the Father?

Corinthians speaks about that. Well, we need to distinguish between Christ's mediatorial kingdom and His kingdom as the second person of the Trinity, as God. He's called God Almighty, He's called God the Father. So in his, as he respects his mediatorial kingdom, he's reigning until he's put all his enemies under his feet. But then he continues to reign as God with the Father.

So there are two aspects here to His Kingdom. Now This ascension happened 40 days after Jesus arose. It's said earlier in the chapter here, Verse 3, I believe, that He was seen by them during forty days and speaking of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. So forty days. What's the significance of forty days?

Well, I think the Scriptures show us that it is a time, 40 days is a common time of preparation and testing. Remember, there was 40 days of rain in the flood. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Now the flood was a judgment, but it was also a picture or type of salvation. Peter says, referring to the angels who were formerly disobedient, when once the divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water." And then he says, there is an antitype that now saves us.

Baptism. Not the washing of water, but a new conscience. This flood was a type of salvation. Moses was in the land of Midian, 40 years, watching sheep. He spent 40 years in a time of preparation to lead Israel out of Egypt.

He was 40 years learning all of the treasures of Egypt, But then 40 years in the wilderness, simply leading sheep around, making sure they had water and food. 40 years God used to prepare him for his calling to lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses was on the mountain for 40 days, twice. He went up into the midst of the cloud and was in the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. He was with the Lord and he was receiving all the instructions about the temple, how to build it, the clothing, and so on.

And then he received the Ten Commandments. And then after, so this is a time of preparation. God was, in those 40 days, preparing Moses to receive the law. To receive the law. It's interesting that the Pentecost is something that was representative of giving the law on Mount Sinai and I look forward to the Pentecost after Christ arose.

So Moses is 40 days on the mountain being instructed. Just like the disciples, Christ spent 40 days with the disciples instructing them in the Kingdom of God. Moses was on the mountain 40 days a second time pleading for the Lord's mercy to Israel after they had sinned in the matter of the golden calf, and God heard his plea and saved Israel. It was 40 days that the spies were in the land of Canaan. They returned, they spied out that land for 40 days in preparation.

They were making preparation for the invasion of Canaan. They spent 40 days in reconnaissance. And because they were unbelieving, or 10 of the 12 were unbelieving, They spent 40 years in the wilderness wandering. It was a time of judgment for the first generation, but a time of testing and preparation for the second generation. Remember it was 40 years because it was one year for every day that they had been in the land." God was clear about that.

He said, in Numbers 14, "'Your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed. According to the number of days in which you spied out the land, 40 days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely 40 years, and you shall know My rejection." And that's why their carcasses, God rejected them, their carcasses fell in the wilderness. They didn't pass God's test. Numbers 32 says, The Lord's anger was aroused against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years until the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. But of the next generation, Moses says, for the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands.

He knows you're trudging through the wilderness, this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you and you have lacked nothing. Remember their shoes did not wear out. They had manna every day. They didn't have to grow it.

All they had to do was pick it off the ground. Their foot didn't swell. Their clothes didn't wear out for these forty years. And Moses said to them in Deuteronomy 8, and you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness. Why?

To humble you and to test you. To know what was in your heart. Whether you would keep His commandments or not, your garments did not wear out and your foot did not swell. There was a time of testing. There was a time of preparation.

It was a time where they were learning. They were in boot camp, if you will, As they went from camp to camp to camp, God was training them and preparing them and testing them for conquering the land of Canaan. But also Jesus was tested for 40 days. He was in the wilderness 40 days, tempted by Satan and was with wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. And he ate nothing afterwards.

So he was very hungry when he was dying. But that was a time of testing. With wild beasts, so the physical world, and spiritual, Satan was tempting him in ways that were unique to his calling as our Messiah. And of course Christ, unlike all the people before, the Israelites before, Christ passed His test. He succeeded where man has failed.

So this forty days is a similar time of testing, a time of preparation, as Jesus is instructing them in preparing them to be the foundation of the New Testament church, along with the prophets, built on the cornerstone, which was Jesus Christ. Now they had asked Him, when they got together as He was about to ascend, he said, Lord, are you going to now restore the kingdom to Israel? And the answer was yes, but it wasn't the consummation of the Kingdom. But Jesus didn't directly answer that question. He said, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in His authority.

Jesus said actually that He didn't know. Only the Father knew when Christ would return. When the Second Coming would be. So Christ in His human nature did not know what Christ in His divine nature did know. As God, He certainly knew.

He's no less than the Father. But in His human nature, remember He had the limitations of a human. He had a true human nature. And so even Christ said He did not know the time of this coming again. We don't need to know when he's coming again.

Some things have not been given to us to know, Because we don't have a need to know. In the military they have a system of classification. You know, it's secret, top secret, and so on. But you can have a top secret clearance, but that didn't mean you're entitled to everything that is top secret. You have to have, always had to have a need to know it.

A need to know. You couldn't just go find out classified information because you were curious. And Jesus has a very similar approach to the disciples here. No, you don't have a need to know this. So why wouldn't they have a need to know?

Well, how would knowing that help them to occupy until He comes? What's the human tendency? The sinful human tendency? When we know exactly when the inspector is coming? We tend to put off doing what we should be doing if we know that nobody's going to be looking and it doesn't matter, or Until somebody is going to look and then we get busy and do it.

And so, you see, knowing that would simply be one more reason for people to put off being reconciled to God. Saying, oh well, that's far down the road, I don't need to be concerned with that. But you know, this is just the exact opposite of the attitude that Jesus wants us to have. We are to be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Yes, He is coming again.

He will come again in the same manner as you saw Him go into heaven, but He is coming in an hour we are not going to expect. Matthew 24, Jesus tells three parables, Matthew 24 and 25, three parables about this very attitude of always being ready for Christ to come back. Because no one knows that time. So Matthew 24, 45, he talks about the parable of a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over the household to give them food." And he's telling this parable right after he said, be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. And He said, Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

In other words, blessed is the person who is busy doing what he's been called to do when I return. For surely I say to you, I will make him ruler over his goods. But that evil servant says in his heart, what? My master is delaying his coming. And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for Him. And at an hour that He is not aware of and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." See, our sinful tendency, this is called an evil ruler, But the tendency of our sinful flesh is to want to do that. It's to want to say, well, it's a far way off, and we've got lots of other things to do. But you know, really, we should be living every day the same, as if Christ is coming. Then he tells the parable of the virgins, the five wise and the five foolish.

He said the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins who took lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise, you remember, and five were foolish. The five that were wise took extra oil. The five that were foolish didn't. And because of that, they did not get into the marriage feast because they had to go buy oil.

And they got back. It was too late. The day of grace was past. And then he tells the parable of the talents. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

That's what Jesus was doing there. In the forty days, He was teaching His disciples, preparing them for when His departure, telling them how they ought to conduct themselves in the Church of God, instructing them about this kingdom. He was delegating to them. The leadership of the church wasn't like he was no longer going to be working. He was going to be working through them, his servants.

And so Jesus says, and to one he called his servants, to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability. And immediately he went on a journey. And then you know the story how the one who got five talents went out and traded and made five more, and the one who had two gained two more, but the one who only had one hit it. And after a long time, a long time, the Lord of those servants came back and settled accounts with them." And you know the outcome of that, what he did, how he rewarded those who were busy and worked, and how he judged the one servant who wasn't busy and wasn't working. To everyone who has, more will be given and he will have abundance.

But from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away and cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And then Jesus goes right into talking about when the Son of Man comes in His glory with all His holy angels with Him, and He will sit on His throne of glory, and the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from his goats." That's the attitude that Christ says we should have regarding His coming again. Always watching, always ready, always living every day as if it is our last day upon earth. I have a few questions here that we can take away from this passage. One, are we learning from the times of testing and preparation that the Lord is giving to us? Are we learning the lessons that He would have us to learn?

Are we passing the tests that He is giving to us? And when we don't always, when we fail, are we humble enough to acknowledge our failure, to turn to the Lord in repentance, and by His grace seek to do better? Or do we become downcast and mope about? Is your mind set on things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God? Or is it set on this world?

Is your mind set on things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God? Or is it set on this world? Is your mind set on things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God? Or is it set on this world? The things that are passing away.

I remember a wise church planter by the name of Jim Heemstra years and years ago when we were planting a church in Charleston, South Carolina. He talked, and this is a very common phrase, I've heard it many times since, but this is the first time I heard it He talked about those people who were so heavenly minded that they were no earthly good Or those other people who were so earthly minded that they were no heavenly good See to have our minds set above on things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God doesn't mean that we ignore this earth. This is where we are. This is where we are working. The work we have in front of us is physical work to do.

But we always need to be doing that work, whether it's gardening, whether it's cooking for our families, whether it's making beautiful the home, adorning the Gospel, by those gifts and graces that God has given us. That as we do these things, we're not doing them simply for the human praise that might follow them, or for the earthly blessing that may come to them, but rather we're doing these things with our mind in heaven, recognizing that these things that we are doing, we are doing to the Lord, we are doing for Him. And whether anybody notices or not here on earth, it doesn't matter. What matters is, does the Lord notice? And So we become more immune to the praise or the thanks of other people.

Because we're not working for their thanks. We're not working to please them. We're working to please the Lord. As we're doing our work here on earth. That's what it means to have your mind set above.

It doesn't mean that you're so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good. It doesn't mean you spend all day fasting and praying. It means that the work that we do with our hands is a work that is a holy work. It's a sacred calling. Whatever that calling might be.

It's a noble calling. Do you live in the power of Christ's ascension? Do you live in the power of Christ's ascension? Is your outlook on life, whether that's your home, whether that's in evangelization, or whether that's your outlook on politics and the culture, our neighbors and so on, is your outlook consistent with the fact that Christ has ascended into the highest heaven and been given authority, all authority, and all power? Remember as the voices proclaim in Revelation 11, they say, "...the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." Is your outlook on our culture consistent with Christ's ascension?

That of a King who is reigning forever and ever, to whom has been given all authority, all power, and all dominion over all the nations of the earth. I think when we live in that power, it radically changes our outlook and our perspective on everything that's happening around us, whether that's the things that are happening in our homes, in our lives, or in the lives of our nation. Fourthly, do you rightly understand the kingdom? Do you rightly understand the kingdom? Is the kingdom to you simply about having power?

Having God-fearing judges and righteous legislatures? Is it about having a large and prosperous church? Paul said to the Romans, the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That's what the Kingdom is about. That's where the battles are fought.

Do you have righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit? Because Paul said, He who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. This is where the battle starts. Yes, it eventually extends out into all those other areas. And we pray that God's victory and the Gospel will permeate all those other areas.

But the Kingdom is fundamentally about righteousness through Christ, peace through the power of the Holy Spirit, and joy in the Spirit. Do we have joy? A joy that's not tied to our circumstances. Do we have peace? A peace that isn't tied to the things that happen to us or don't happen to us.

See, these are things that we have in the Holy Spirit. And we have those if we are living in His Kingdom and living for Christ. And lastly, are you always ready for Christ's return? He is coming again, and every eye will see Him just as He ascended. Are you living every day expecting His return?

That's how He tells us we ought to live, to be ready, to watch and pray. Now let's pray. Now let's pray. Almighty Heavenly Father, We praise Your glorious name that all authority on heaven and earth has been given to You. And You have publicly proclaimed Your victory to all the hosts, the spirits consigned and condemned to hell.

You made a public spectacle triumphing over them. You have given to us every resource, every privilege, every blessing that we need. Lord, may we live in the power of Your resurrection, in the power of Your victory over the evil one, and may we live as those living in your kingdom. Kingdom where you are reigning. Kingdom where you are ruling over all the affairs of man.

A kingdom where Satan has been bound so that he cannot deceive the nations. A kingdom, Lord, where You have given us the power of Your Holy Spirit to disciple these nations. Lord, may we realize what great inheritance You have given us in Christ. May we live as your children and not as paupers and beggars. In Jesus' name we ask.

Amen.