Naylor Community Christian Church
Naylor, Georgia
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 24:50-53
Luke
24:50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his
hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was
taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with
great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
-- as we have discussed ad nauseum,
we find ourselves living in unprecedented times – every day, we wake to find
disheartening news of violence and war and crime – of injustice and unfairness and
discrimination – of poverty and famine and starvation – of sickness and disease
and death -- of natural disasters affecting thousands and thousands of people –
of wonders in the skies that we have never seen in our lifetimes
–
just think about what we’ve seen and experienced here in our local community –
with two hurricanes and a tropical storm over the last two years that devasted
this region – of the tornados and flooding and droughts that affected so many –
of the news of increasing crime and violence, even in sleepy little towns like
Naylor and Valdosta – and consider that we had the aurora borealis visible in
south Georgia this past year – and then we had the fireball from the meteor
that streaked across South Carolina and Georgia and Alabama this week – with
pieces from the meteor crashing into a home in Henry County
--
if you just step back and just consider what we’ve been going through – not
just across this globe, but even here in own backyard – you just have to wonder
what’s going on – where is this going to end? – what is going to happen to us
in the future?
--
we don’t like uncertainty – humans are not good with that – we like to be in
control – we like to know what is going on and to think we have some semblance
of control in our lives
--
but there is no one who feels that right now, anywhere in this world
--
and that’s why so many people are reacting the way they are – people are
lashing out – they’re angrier than they’ve ever been – just the littlest thing
sets them off – that’s why you see so much road rage and so many fights in
stores and in other places – that’s why you see and hear so much hatred and
vitriol on social media, in the news, in public, in politics
--
it all goes back to the fact that we feel this world is out of control – and
it’s affecting our emotions, our behaviors, our actions, and our lives
-- if you remember, it’s been a
little over seven years since Bill York collapsed and died during the chapel
service out at Camp Tygart – I was in the room with him that day when it
happened, along with about 50 teens and a handful of adults – it was chaos –
and I was supposed to be one of the leaders of the event – and I remember
looking at one of the other pastors there in the room and I could tell we both
had the same thought – “We need an adult here – we need someone to step up and
take control and tell us what to do” – we both felt lost and out of control and
clueless and didn’t know what to do in the moment
-- that’s where society is today –
we’re lost and out of control and lashing out and just looking for someone to
step up and show us the way – for someone to step up and speak peace into our
midst and to tell us that everything is going to be okay – for someone to step
up and say, “I am in control – I’ve got this – don’t worry”
-- thankfully, the Bible tells us
who this Someone is – we just need to remember and stop worrying and have faith
in Him
-- this morning, we are continuing
on in our series on the foundations of our faith, using the Nicene Creed as the
outline for our messages – we find ourselves today considering the final words
about Jesus from the second paragraph of the creed
-- if you would, let’s turn to the
creed now and recite it together – you can find it on Page 880 in our hymnal or
you can refer to the handout that I gave you earlier
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus
Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit
and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under
Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of
the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the
Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and
the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the
prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic*
and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the
dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
-- the section of the creed that I
want us to focus on this morning comes at the end of the second paragraph:
-- On the third day He rose
again, in accordance with Scriptures; He ascended into Heaven and is seated at
the right hand of the Father. He will
come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will have
no end.
-- so, in the midst of the
uncertainty and confusion in this world today, the Bible affirms two truths
about Christ – after His atoning death on the cross in payment for our sin debt
and His resurrection from the dead in victory over sin and death – the Bible
tells us that Jesus ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the
Father – and it tells us that He will come again in glory at the end of the age
to judge the living and the dead and to set up a Kingdom that will have no end
-- promises that should give us hope
and peace in these turbulent times
-- I want us to look at each of
these separately today, as we finish up this section of the Nicene Creed
II. The Ascension of Christ (Luke 24:50-53)
-- the story of the ascension of
Christ is given to us in three main passages – the first is in the gospel of
Mark – and then Luke gives us a brief account here in Luke 24 and a more
detailed description in Acts 1
--
all three passages describe the moment when Jesus physically returned to heaven
in the sight of His disciples following His death and resurrection
-- so why is the ascension of Christ
important?
--
as Kevin Miller wrote, what the disciples witnessed and recorded for us in the
Bible was the “triumphal return of Jesus Christ to heaven, His enthronement at
the right hand of God”
-- this marks the end of Jesus’
physical ministry on earth and the transition to the end of the age -- as we
experience the Kingdom of God within us in the presence of the Holy Spirit and
as we look forward to the renewing of our souls and spirits and all creation
with the coming of a new earth and a new heaven
-- from this point on, Jesus no
longer appears physically to His disciples -- we see no more physical
resurrection appearances – and the time of Jesus teaching His disciples from
the Scriptures after the resurrection has ended
--
look back at verse 50-51
Luke
24:50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his
hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was
taken up into heaven.
--
we read in the Bible that after the resurrection, Jesus taught His disciples
for a period of 40 days from the Scriptures – explaining to them the prophecies
and showing them the promises of God for restoration and renewal and
reconciliation with the Father from the Old Testament
--
after this period of intense instruction, Jesus led His disciples back out to
the Mount of Olives – if you remember, it was on the Mount of Olives that Jesus
began His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, riding on the back of
a donkey to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God
--
He takes His disciples back to the Mount of Olives and it is from this place
that Jesus returns to the Father in the sight of all those who are gathered
there – He lifts up His hands – He blesses them and, as we read in Acts 1,
promises to send the Holy Spirit to them – and then is taken up into heaven
-- so, while the disciples were
talking with Him, Jesus literally began to rise from the ground -- His physical
body was lifted up above them while He blessed His disciples with raised hands,
and the amazed disciples watched as Jesus rose higher and higher above the
Mount of Olives, until a cloud hid Him from view
-- Mark expands on this and tells us
in Mark 16:19 that Jesus was taken up into heaven, where He then sat down at
the right hand of God – so, with the ascension, we see the Father’s acceptance
of the work of Christ -- when Jesus ascends to heaven in the sight of His
disciples to sit down at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, it tells us
the Father has accepted His atoning sacrifice for us and that no more
sacrifices are needed to pay the penalty for our sins
-- His ascension into heaven and
into the very presence of the Father is evidence to us that He has made a way
for us and is a promise that we, too, will one day join Him in heaven with the
Father forever
-- so, the ascension of Christ is
the final exclamation point on His earthly ministry and marks for us His
victory over sin and death, once and for all, and points the way to the
establishment of His final kingdom on earth and our eternal life with Him
forever
-- but what does this mean to us
today? – in light of the turmoil and uncertainty and chaos that we’re
experiencing now in this world, what are we supposed to do with the ascension?
--
in Acts 1:10-11, Luke tells us that the disciples just stood there on the Mount
of Olives – looking up at the sky where Jesus had disappeared – but two angels
appeared to them and said, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This
same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same
way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
-- the important question to the
disciples was, “Why are you standing here?” – this was a call to ministry –
this was a call to live out our faith in the risen and ascended Christ and to
share the good news of the Kingdom of God with this world – to be His ambassadors
of peace and reconciliation – to be His heralds in the world today
--
when the angels told the disciples to quit standing there looking up into the
sky, they were basically telling them, “Go – do something – start living in the
knowledge and faith and hope of the Lord Jesus Christ”
--
and that’s what the disciples did
--
verse 52-53
Luke 24:52 Then they worshiped him and returned to
Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple,
praising God.
--
after the ascension of Christ, the disciples didn’t just stand there waiting –
they didn’t just spend their days looking up at the sky for the coming Christ –
but they lived out their faith
--
empowered by the Holy Spirit that Jesus would send to them in just 40 days on
the Day of Pentecost, the disciples spent their time worshiping Jesus – they
were filled with joy – they were filled with anticipation and excitement – Luke
says they stayed in the temple, praising God – and, as we know from the Book of
Acts, they preached the good news of the Kingdom – they lived in harmony and
peace with one another in a new community of faith – the church – and they
shared the message of hope with everyone they met
--
now think for a moment about how we’re living today – think for a moment about
what I just mentioned – about the fear and worry – the uncertainty and lack of
control – that we see all around us – that we see in ourselves
--
is this the way we should be living? – or should we be like the disciples after
they descended from watching Jesus go back into heaven on the Mount of Olives?
--
what does the world see in us when they see us live lives of worry and fear,
just like everyone else?
--
we, above all, should be examples of peace and faith and tranquility in a world
gone mad
--
when John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was on his way to Georgia with his
brother Charles, the ship he was sailing on got caught up in the middle of a
terrible storm – it was being tossed back and forth – the waves were crashing
over the deck – the main sail was ripped off by the mighty winds -- everyone
was in fear for their lives, Wesley included
--
and understand that Wesley was an Anglican priest – a man of faith – a man who
God was using to call out the people to live real lives of holiness and
obedience and not just go through the motions of church, like most people in
his day
--
of all people, you would have expected Wesley to be the one who was like the
Apostle Paul during the storm in the book of Acts, when Paul’s ship was
destroyed but Paul remained calm and peaceful and without fear
--
but Wesley was just like all the others – he thought he was going to die – he
was filled with fear – he went below deck and there, to his amazement, he found
a group of Christians – the Moravians – who were holding a worship service -- singing
hymns and praising God – even in the midst of the storm
--
Wesley wrote in his journal about this experience, noting the contrast between
the terrified English passengers and the peaceful Moravians -- He asked one of
them if they were not afraid, and the Moravian replied, "I thank God,
no." -- He further inquired if their women and children were afraid, and
the answer was, "No; our women and children are not afraid to die."
--
This encounter with the Moravians, and their unwavering faith in the face of
death, deeply impacted Wesley and highlighted a lack of assurance in his own
faith.
-- I know we live in chaotic and
dangerous and unprecedented times, but the way we live – the way we act and the
words we speak – say volumes about our faith and trust in Jesus
-- Wesley learned about his lack of
true faith on the ship that day, and it changed how he lived the rest of his
life and the message that he taught others about living lives of holiness and
obedience in light of Christ’s victory
–
in the same way, the disciples lived in a harsh world, ruled by the Romans, and
subjected to the persecutions of the Jews – their world was no less dangerous
or uncertain or chaotic than ours – it was probably worse, in all actuality -- but
they approached their world in faith and they lived out their faith in Jesus completely
–
they lived peaceful and joyful lives – they continued to worship and praise God
-- despite all the violence and persecution and harm that came against them and
the early church – they lived without fear, because they had seen the risen
Christ and they had watched Him ascend to heaven, where He sat down at the
right hand of God the Father in victory over sin and death
-- what fear can this world hold in
light of the victory of Christ? – what concern or worry can we have knowing
that Jesus has conquered sin and death and that we are waiting for His return,
so we can live with Him in His kingdom here on earth forever?
-- which brings us to the second
truth of Christ that I want us to consider this morning – His second coming
III. The Second Coming of Christ (2 Thessalonians
1:5-12)
--
the creed proclaims, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and
the dead, and His Kingdom will have no end.”
--
turn over to 2 Thessalonians 1, and we’ll end there – 2 Thessalonians 1,
beginning at verse 5-7a
2 Thessalonians 1:5 All this is evidence that God’s
judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of
God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to
those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as
well.
--
understand this – contrary to what the prosperity preachers claim – we are
going to face trials and tribulations in this world today – we are going to
have troubles and face suffering in this world
–
that’s why Peter said in 1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at
the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange
were happening to you”
--
this isn’t strange – this is expected – we may be living in unprecedented times
right now, but the troubles we are going through – the trials that we are
facing – they’re not out of the ordinary – it’s a part of life – and the closer
we get to the end – the closer we get to the return of Christ – the worse it’s
going to get because the Bible tells us that the devil knows his time is short
and so he’s going to throw everything he has at us in the final days
--
so, what we are going through is normal – storms of life and trials and
tribulations are normal – things are not going to get better until Christ comes
again – the question is what we do about it? – how do we live in light of these
trials and storms that we are facing?
--
do we live like the rest of the world – in worry and fear and anger and lashing
out at everyone around us – or do we live like the disciples and the Moravians
in the midst of the storm? – living lives of faith and trust in God, despite
the storms raging around us
--
these verses give us the same promise we read of in the Psalms – eventually,
all things will be made right – the unrighteous will be judged – the trouble
that we were given will be paid back and we will find relief –everything will
be made right in the world forever – and there will be no more pain or
suffering – sorrow or tears
--
look at the second part of verse 7
2 Thessalonians 1:7b This will happen when the Lord
Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He
will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from
the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes
to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who
have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
--
we talked about this in our series on After Life, as we looked at what was
going to happen to us after we die – at heaven and hell and everything
in-between
--
in the Bible, we read that there will be a final reckoning – that there will be
a final judgement at the Great White Throne – where everything and everyone who
is evil will be judged and found guilty for their sins – where righteousness
and justice will prevail – and where sin and death will finally be destroyed in
the Lake of Fire, along with Satan and his demons
--
this will occur at the end of the age, when Jesus returns to claim His bride
and to establish His kingdom on earth forever
--
and this should be good news for us – it says right here in verse 9 that on
this day – on the day that Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives in the same way
He was taken up on the day of His ascension – that He will be glorified in His
holy people and be marveled at among all those who have believed – and Paul
tells the Thessalonians and tells us that this includes us – it includes all
Christians -- because we have believed in the gospel of Christ and have
received forgiveness of our sins and been reconciled to the Father through our
faith and trust in Jesus
--
the second coming of Christ should be something that we long for – that we are
looking for in anticipation and excitement – the same way little kids look for
the coming of Christmas morning
--
the disciples were that way – they stood there so long on the Mount of Olives
staring up into the sky after Jesus’ ascension that angels had to tell them to
go and get busy – and all throughout the New Testament we read of how the
people of faith are looking forward to the day of Jesus’ return – they are
looking forward to His coming again
--
but that’s not what I’m hearing in the church today
IV. Closing
-- last weekend, the U.S. bombed
Iran and it resulted in an increase of fear and uncertainty – President Trump’s
base – the MAGA people – were actually split in their opinion of whether Trump
should have authorized the bombing or not – and not for the reason you think – it
had nothing to do with politics or whether it was justified or whether the US
had the right to bomb Iran
-- instead, some people felt the US
shouldn’t get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran because it might
start a war in the Mideast, which would then usher in the end of days and the
return of Jesus
-- believe it or not, there were
many in the MAGA base and many Christians who opposed the attack on Iran and
the U.S.’s involvement in the Middle East, simply because they felt it would
hasten the coming of Christ – there was fear in their voices – they were scared
at the thought of Jesus returning – and they said that we shouldn’t be doing
things that might make Jesus come back soon
--
but, as some pundits on a Christian podcast I follow noted, “if this really is
a prelude to Christ’s return, as many online end timers claim, why are they
stoking panic and fear? Shouldn’t Christians welcome this news?”
-- as we read here and as we read
throughout the New Testament, the coming of Christ is a good thing – the
culmination of our faith – the moment when evil and sin and death are
completely destroyed forever and the kingdom of God is finally established forever
– that’s a good thing!
-- so, why the fear? – is it because
we don’t understand how wonderful the coming of Jesus will be? – is it because
our faith is weak, like Wesley’s?
-- the Bible makes it clear that the
coming of Jesus is a good thing – for with His coming, we see the completion of
our salvation and redemption – we no longer have this sin nature still residing
in us and we no longer have the temptations of this world or the devil trying
to lure us away from Christ – but we will live in complete holiness and
righteousness and perfection in Him for all eternity
-- we will see the renewal of the
earth and the heavens – right now, this world is broken – our climate is broken
– and all of these natural disasters and other things we are experiencing is
not what God had planned in the beginning – these are all the result of the
fall – and the farther we get from Creation – the farther we get from the
paradise of the Garden of Eden – the worse things will get here on earth
-- but when Jesus returns, He will
recreate the earth again – there will be a new heaven and a new earth, for the
old earth and the old heavens will pass away – we will live with Jesus forever
in the paradise that He originally intended for us to inhabit – we will
experience earth and Creation as God planned it – before sin entered this world
and corrupted everything – that is something I am looking forward to
-- can you imagine going out into
nature without experiencing mosquitoes and sunburn and poison ivy and dangers
from wild animals or earthquakes or volcanos or hurricanes? – we will be able
to live in total harmony and peace in God’s creation, enjoying it forever
-- and when Jesus returns, we’ll see
the fulfillment of all prophecy and the fulfillment of all the promises of God
– as we talked about, there will be no more sin or death – no more sorrow or
tears – we’ll know what it means to live in a society at peace – with justice
and righteousness the norm
-- and, finally, when Jesus returns,
we’ll be able to spend eternity with Him – just being in His presence – just
knowing Him and experiencing Him – as it says here in verse 10, glorifying Him
and marveling at Him
-- can you image walking with Jesus
by the seashore? – can you imagine sitting at His feet while He talks? – can
you imagine what it would be like to see Him and hear Him and know Him in a
real and personal way?
-- why are we scared of that? – why
are we in fear of His coming? – why are we worried about the future? – it is
going to be everything that we ever hoped for or longed for or dreamed about –
it will be the ultimate life
-- this is not something to fear,
but something to look forward to – something to be excited about – something to
tell others about
-- I know there’s a lot of fear and
worry and concern right now – but I’m telling you – don’t let that happen –
live above it – live your life as a true believer in Christ – live in faith and
trust – know that He has this – that our future is firm and fixed in Him – and
that we are only walking through momentary troubles as we face a future of
perfect holiness and righteousness with God forever
-- people are watching you right now
– they’re looking to see how you are responding to the events of this world –
to the things that are happening in your life
-- we are all walking through
troubles right now – we’re all facing scary times – the things we are going
through are not fun – they’re real and they’re hurtful and they’re not good
-- but we have to look past the
storm to the sunshine and the rainbow – we have to look past the storm to the
moment when that storm breaks and we are welcomed into the very arms of Jesus –
either through death or when He returns to gather His church and to establish
His kingdom on earth again today
-- we need to live as the disciples
did – in faith and in trust of the One who died for us and rose again – who
ascended into Heaven and who will come again to usher in the final kingdom of
God
-- that is really what Paul is
praying in the final verses of our passage this morning – look back at verse 11-12
2
Thessalonians 1:11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God
may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to
fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.
12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and
you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ
-- may that be us – may we live
lives worthy of our calling – may we walk by faith and in His power – may we
desire goodness and do good things for Him – may God be glorified in us and
through us – and may we be agents of His grace in this world today
-- and, with that, we will close
-- let us pray
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