IS YOURS AN ASCENSION FAITH?

by Pastor Paul Naumann

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, 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 toward 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 His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality 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 gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 

— Ephesians 1:15-23

In the Name of Jesus, Who ascended triumphantly, Dear Fellow Redeemed,

If you could have one thing that would make you perfectly happy in life, what would it be? If there were one item that would enable you to meet life's problems head-on, do you know what that one item would be? The first thing that probably comes to mind is...more money. Not long ago there was a lottery jackpot in California worth 65 million dollars. Did you think to yourself, "If I had even one million dollars, my problems would be over?" Would a windfall of money be the answer? — It wouldn't be for long. Wealthy people prove that you can be filthy rich and still be miserable at the same time.

What about a better education? With all the emphasis on higher education these days, you may be thinking that if only I had my MA or PhD on the wall...then I would be successful and happy. And yet, some of the most brilliant people on earth are also some of the most unhappy.

What about more friends? We're all lonely sometimes. "If only I had friends constantly by my side." But we all know that you can be surrounded by friends and still feel all alone.

So what is the one answer to all of life's problems? The Apostle Paul knew. He prayed in our text that all Christians would know that answer, too. The answer is to have an Ascension faith. And today I'd like each of you to consider this question for yourselves...

"IS YOURS AN ASCENSION FAITH?"

I. It's a faith that knows God has done everything to save you. II. It's a faith that knows God can do anything else to serve you.

Is yours an ascension faith? I'll bet you've never thought about it. For many Christians, Ascension Day is simply an event which bridges the gap between Easter and Pentecost. It's just the story of Jesus' going from here into heaven. But the fact is that Ascension is more than a transportation story. It is the positive proof that Jesus has done everything necessary to save us.

When Paul prayed that God "may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him...to know the hope to which He has called you," he was thinking about the Ascension. That event was the capping off of Jesus' entire work of redemption. It meant that not one single item was lacking in the plan of salvation. Jesus was going back to heaven like a triumphant king returning from battle. He was victorious. And that victory belongs to everyone who trusts in Him!

Perhaps we don't emphasize the festival of Ascension as much as we should. The truth is, the Ascension is the rock-solid assurance that we are saved. Nothing, and no one is ever going to be able to condemn us. Paul writes in Roman, "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

At Christmas we remember how God loved us enough to send His only Son. On Good Friday we remember how Jesus brought us forgiveness and freedom with His death on the cross. At Easter we remember how Jesus was raised up as proof that God accepted the sacrifice He made for us. And now, the Ascension completes the plan. Today we remind ourselves that our Savior is at the Right Hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf.

That should be a big comfort for you. Because there are times in our lives when we find it hard to believe that we are forgiven. There are times when our conscience nags at us, and condemns us. There are people, including other Christians, who want us to question whether we are really saved...and then we remember the Ascension. We remember that Jesus is right now pleading our case with the Father. He is saying, "Father, forgive them because of My redemptive work. I paid the price for their sins, and You have already accepted it."

Is yours an ascension faith? It is, if you merely trust that God has done everything to save you.

But the power of the Ascension is really there for you in day to day living. This is the one thing that empowers us to meet life head-on and to walk away victoriously. An Ascension faith realizes that God not only has done everything to save you...He can also do anything else to serve you!

Paul says that God raised up Christ and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all powers and principalities. Each Sunday we confess that Jesus "sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty." That's picture language, of course. In Bible times, the right hand was the sword hand. It was the power hand. And to say that Jesus is at God's right hand, means that Jesus has complete power over everything that happens in our world.

People tend to think that most power decisions in the world are made in either the White House or the Kremlin. We are led to believe that our destinies are determined by the men with influential positions. But having an Ascension faith reminds us that Jesus is finally in control; that over the long course of history, He rules. It is not the captains of industry or the barons of finance, not the economic systems and political maneuvers, not computers or automation, weather or climate that is in control. The Father has placed Jesus Christ is in control of this world.

When trouble pops up in your life, do you feel like a pawn being moved about on some huge chessboard? Or do you have an Ascension faith? Do you remember that your own Savior Jesus is pulling the strings and manipulating the events around you for your good?! Is yours an Ascension faith?

The Bible has many examples of that kind of faith. One of my favorites was our Old Testament reading for last Sunday - the account of David and Goliath. Saul had to find somebody who was willing to fight the giant warrior Goliath. Now, if you could have walked through the ranks of the Israelites before that fight, I think you would have found the same kind of "faith" that a lot of today's Christians exhibit. If you asked one of them, "Do you believe in God?" he would have responded, "Of course I do!" "Do you believe that God has all power?" and he'd have said, "Certainly I believe that God has all power!" If you asked, "OK, then — are you ready to trust in God and go fight Goliath?" he'd have said, "Are you out of your mind?"

No one there would do it. So a stripling shepherd boy stepped forth. For weapons, he had nothing but a slingshot. Oh, yes — he had one other thing...an Ascension faith! He walked onto the battleground certain of one thing, that the Lord was in control. And with one small stone, David knocked the giant off his long legs.

Is yours an Ascension faith? It should be, and it can be. After all, God has already defeated our most powerful enemies — sin, death, and the devil. Can't we trust Him to handle the other problems that confront us in life? Yes, as Paul says in the eighth chapter of Romans, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"— 31-32. Our Lord is continually controlling the events of the world for the good of His children. Jesus didn't ascend in order to get away from us! He did it to show that the same loving Savior who died for us on the cross is now the one who now holds all authority in heaven and on earth! You can triumph over life because of him.

So what do you need the most in life? Isn't it an Ascension faith? The next time you're in the hospital waiting room, remember the Ascension. The next time your family is flat broke, and searching for a way to make ends meet, remember the Ascension. The next time you feel all alone and depressed, when you feel like giving up the battle against the ups and downs of life...remember the Ascension. The battle has already been fought and won — and you are made a conqueror through Jesus Christ!

The Greek Orthodox churches have an interesting way of remembering that Jesus is the triumphant King. Many of their churches were built with a dome over the sanctuary, and in that dome is a painting of Christ. Not Christ on the cross, but Christ seated on a throne. Every time a worshipper looked up in the church, he would be reminded that his Lord was not only his Savior, but his ascended and all-providing King as well. May God grant each of us to remember that. And may God give us each an Ascension faith! AMEN.