Pro-Life for All of Life: The Gospel & Human Dignity
Matthew 25:31-40 | The gospel compels us to uphold the sanctity of all human life, because Jesus stands with the vulnerable & powerless.
Pro-Life for All of Life: The Gospel & Human Dignity
Matthew 25:31-40
Main Idea: The gospel compels us to uphold the sanctity of all human life, because Jesus stands with the vulnerable & powerless.
I. Who are the Least of These?
The “least of these” are the human beings who are deemed insignificant, invisible, or unimportant by a society. Jesus emphasizes that they are in need of the basics for human existence: food, water, clothing, shelter, and companionship.
“I believe that’s what a fetus is: a human life. And that doesn’t make me one iota less solidly pro-choice… Here’s the complicated reality in which we live. All life is not equal… a fetus can be a human life without having the same rights as the woman in whose body it resides. She’s the boss. Her life and what is right for her circumstances and her health should automatically trump the rights of the non-autonomous entity inside of her. Always.” ~ Mary Elizabeth Williams (pro-abortion commentator)
If the church is going to have conviction & compassion here, we ought to humbly consider in our own lives who it is that we are prone to devalue & ignore. Who would we rather not think about? How have we tacitly contributed to a society where “all life is not equal?”
II. The Church & the Least of These
Jesus says that the church has a responsibility to the least of these, because we have a responsibility to him. We can step into this courageously and faithfully for 2 reasons:
1. We know the truth about human dignity & sanctity.
We know from God’s Word that every single human being – regardless of age, size, shape, color, abilities, or cognitive faculties – is created by God, bears the very image of God, and therefore has inherent worth, value, and dignity.
“The whole concept of the image of God, is the idea that all men have something within them that God injected. . . . And this gives [mankind] a uniqueness, it gives him worth, it gives him dignity. And we must never forget this . . . there are no gradations in the image of God.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
2. We know the real enemy
Ephesians 6:11:12: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Throughout Biblical & human history, Under the orchestration of an ancient enemy, when human beings grasp for unhealthy power, the vulnerable get hurt (especially children), and a culture of death reigns.
“There is no one more pro-choice than the Devil on the way into the abortion clinic, and there is no one more pro-life than the Devil on the way out of the abortion clinic. Deceit and accusation are the most powerful tools in his arsenal against us. But those in Christ have something more: we have forgiveness, redemption, and the promise of Christ’s perfect righteousness.” ~ Russell Moore
If you are carrying the shame & guilt over having a hand in an abortion, there is hope in Christ Jesus:
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 4:16: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
III. Jesus & the Least of These
The surprising part of this passage and what baffles both the sheep & the goats is the fact that Jesus identifies with the least of these. The King of all Kings came & identified with the powerless, the weak, & the vulnerable.
“It should not surprise us that the spirit of every age seeks to define human worth in terms of power and usefulness, while the gospel of the kingdom defines human dignity in strikingly different terms, as Christ himself identifies himself not with the powerful but with the vulnerable. A fallen universe seeks to wipe out vulnerable human life precisely because such life bears the unmistakable imprint of the one who overcomes not by might nor by power but by his blood.” ~ Russell Moore
If we want to follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross & follow him. Following Jesus often takes us to an uncomfortable, vulnerable place - but this is precisely where Jesus is. The church is to care for the least of these because we see Jesus there and we see ourselves there.
Racial Reconciliation & Walking in Step with the Gospel
Galatians 2:11-16 | The church must walk in step with the truth of the gospel that powerfully brings reconciliation to racial division.
Racial Reconciliation & Walking in Step with the Gospel
Galatians 2:11-16
“There is no institution more equipped and capable of bringing transformation to the cause of reconciliation than the church. But we have some hard work to do.” ~ John Perkins
Main Idea: The church must walk in step with the truth of the gospel that powerfully brings reconciliation to racial division.
I. God’s Heart for Diversity & The Church at Antioch
The church in Antioch is a significant church in an important city in the Greco-Roman world.
The gospel is shared with Gentiles in Antioch & many of them turn in faith to Jesus
This church becomes home-base for Paul’s missionary journeys & had a multi-ethnic, diverse congregation & leadership (cf. Acts 13:1-3)
It is the first place the disciples are called “Chritians” as the gospel cut through deep ethnic divides in the city & brought racial harmony
Antioch is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” It is also a foreshadowing of Revelation 7:9, where God’s people from “every nation, from all tribes, and peoples, and languages” are gathered before the throne of Jesus, worshipping together.
“We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies.” ~ Justin Martyr
II. Walking Out of Step with the Gospel
Peter “eating” with the Gentiles in Antioch showed how the gospel had the power to break through all the reasons for division between Jews & Gentiles. Peter knew this power-first hand from Acts 10.
Acts 10:28: “And [Peter] said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.”
The “men from James” or the “circumcision party” were contending that Gentile believers needed to be circumcised & become Jewish in order to be saved (cf. Acts 15:1). Peter hypocritically acts out of “fear” of this group & separates himself from the Gentiles.
“Racial pride must have entered into [Peter’s mind]. It had been drilled into Peter, and all the Jews, since their youth that Gentiles were “unclean”. While hiding beneath the façade of religious observance, Peter & other Jewish Christians were probably still feeling disdain for Christians from “inferior” national & racial backgrounds. Peter was allowing culture differences to become more important than gospel unity.” Tim Keller
“For Jesus and for his Spirit-anointed apostles, there is no gospel apart from the exposure of sin, and the repentance demanded in its wake. And one of the oldest manifestations of flesh-worshipping devil-worship is racial superiority. To confront such sin is no distraction from the gospel. To the contrary, to not confront it, silently allowing it to sit in the psyches and consciences of the people, is not just a distraction from the gospel but a contradiction of it.” ~ Russell Moore
We must be on guard against the danger of having proper doctrine or theology but failing to live out the gospel. Peter was preaching the gospel but his conduct was “out of step with the truth of the gospel.”
III. Walking In Step with the Gospel
A proposal for what this practically looks like:
1. Embracing
Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11: Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
2. Lamenting
3. Befriending
“The Bible calls us to weep with those who weep; it doesn’t tell us to judge whether they should be weeping.” ~ H.B. Charles Jr.
4. Speaking
5. Acting
A Better Way Forward
1 Peter 1:1-2, 2:9-17, 3:8-17 | Christ has commissioned us as his ambassadors, bearing witness to the Kingdom of God in a hyper-politicized world.
A Better Way Forward
1 Peter 1:1-2, 2:9-17, 3:8-17
Joshua 5:13: “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”
Main Idea: Christ has commissioned us as his ambassadors, bearing witness to the Kingdom of God in a hyper-politicized world.
I. Remembering Our Identity
Peter reminds these scattered Gentile Christians of their identity as:
Elect Exiles
A Chosen Race
A Holy Nation
A Royal Priesthood
A people for God’s own possession
God’s people who have received mercy
Sojourners
Citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20)
Ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20)
In a world where politics has become a religion (or at least demands a religious-type commitment), Christians need a reminder of our true home and that our highest allegiance & citizenship is to King Jesus in heaven.
“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that what they do want, and want acutely, is something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise… if I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world… I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country & to help others to do the same.” ~ C.S. Lewis
If we lived faithfully toward this end, we would not allow political parties to set the agenda for our civic engagement, but rather King Jesus & the ethics of the Kingdom of God. Christians won’t fit perfectly into any earthly political party and we will always feel a bit out of place amongst the tribes of this world.
“Consistent faithfulness to Scripture will never square with total alignment with any political party. A gospel agenda is not set by partisan think tanks in Washington, D.C. It’s set by Scripture. A gospel agenda may align with some aspects of one political party and some of another—and should spur us to engage in those areas—but it also decidedly rejects some aspects of both. God’s agenda is better, bigger, and more glorious than any one party, nation, culture, or time. The mission of Jesus will outlast every White House tenure. It will outlast America itself.” ~ Brett McCracken
II. Remembering Our Mission
Embracing our identity as sojourners, exiles, and ambassadors does not mean that we disengage from the affairs of this world, however.
Jeremiah 29:4-7: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Two dangers the Israelite exiles in Babylon needed to avoid:
1. Don’t hate the Babylonians
“For Christians, one inescapable conclusion of this extraordinary command is that we are obliged to work for the benefit and the flourishing of all people, whether or not they see the world as we do or agree with us in any way. Christians’ obligation is not to their “tribe” but to their God – a God who cares deeply for all people.” ~ Michael Wear
2. Don’t become the Babylonians
As we seek to be faithful where God has placed us, Chrsitians can’t engage in the same way that the world engages. We must stay focused on Jesus, seeking to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Pet. 2:9).
III. Remembering Our Distinctiveness
Peter reminds us that Christians are to live with a distinct, compelling witness to the Kingdom of God. This includes:
Distinct Behavior (2:11-12)
Distinct Honor (2:13-17)
Galatians 5:13–14: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus’ 12 disciples had political diversity; Simon was a zealot, actively working against Rome, while Matthew was a tax collector, supporting Rome. We have to allow for political diversity within the church, since we will always have more in common with a brother or sister in Christ than a fellow Democrat or Republican.
Distinct Humility (3:8-9)
Distinct Speech (3:10-12)
Colossians 4:5-6: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Distinct Hope (3:13-16)
The Resurrection of the Body
1 Corinthians 15:35-57 | There is goodness in our bodies that will be fully realized when they are resurrected like Jesus in glory.
The Resurrection of the Body
1 Corinthians 15:35-57
3 Wrong Views of our Bodies: Deify, Demonize, or Dismiss
Main Idea: There is goodness in our bodies that will be fully realized when they are resurrected like Jesus in glory.
“The way we treat the body is a sign of what we believe about the future… Christians respect the body because we believe our material bodies are part of God’s goal for us and for the universe. At the same time, we don’t make the body ultimate…The body returns to dust. Those who make the body ultimate miss the vision of the kingdom. And those who dismiss the importance of the body misread that what matters ultimately is not just spiritual life but embodied life. That changes the way we live now.” ~ Russell Moore
I. Our Current Bodies
Paul describes our current, physical bodies as:
Created by God (15:38), and therefore good in nature.
Like seeds (15:36-37) that will be sown into the ground.
Fallen & mortal (15:42-44, 53), marked by being “perishable, dishonorable, weak, earthly, and mortal.”
Genesis 3:19: “... for you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
Having a physical body means that we are limited creatures. Not all of these limitations are a result of the fall but are actually in God’s good design for humans. Part of honoring & being good stewards of our physical bodies is accepting these limitations.
“[We have unconsciously] taken a view of human beings as advanced machines. Thus, we talk casually about how we are ‘wired’ and liken the brain to a computer, our bodies to hardware, and our personality to software. But as useful as these metaphors may sometimes be, the brain isn’t a computer, nor do our limbs contain any metal… [the body] is not actually code.” ~ David Zahl, Seculosity, 71.
II. Our Future Bodies
Paul describes our future bodies as:
A seed reaching full potential (15:36).
Resurrected, not resuscitated (15:51).
Imperishable, glorified, powerful, spiritual, and immortal (15:42-44, 53).
We often view our “glorified” future bodies in vanity, but this is meant to encourage the church that there is hope beyond the grave. Right now we still feel the “sting” and “victory” of death, but at the resurrection: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (15:54-55).
Romans 8:22–23: For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
III. Jesus’ Resurrection & Our Resurrection
Jesus’ incarnation and his bodily resurrection emphasize the important role our physical bodies play in God’s design and goals for us and creation.
“The God in whose image we are made took on human form. The incarnation established that God is with us in all the dust, the sweat, and the tears of our physicality. Though the incarnation leaves no question about the goodness of our corporeality, the bodily resurrection of Jesus adds additional evidence. The resurrection of the body means that to be human with God is to be with him not as disembodied souls, but as people with noses, faces, arms, and legs that are similar to those we currently have.” ~ Matthew Lee Anderson
The emphasis of the Scriptures is that our resurrected body will be like Jesus’ resurrected body (15:49).
Philippians 3:20–21: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body…
1 John 3:2: Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Jesus’ resurrection is the “firstfruits” (cf. 15:20) of the resurrection, and our existence for all eternity in the new heavens & the new earth will be in a physical body. This is the victory (15:57) we have through Jesus Christ.
Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A1:
Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A: That I am not my own but belong—body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ...
The Forgiveness of Sins
Colossians 1:13-14 | The forgiveness we experience in Christ compels us to be a forgiving people.
THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
Colossians 1:13-14
Main Idea: The forgiveness we experience in Christ compels us to be a forgiving people.
Outline
I. Our Need of Forgiveness
II.The Forgiver
III. Our Response
Colossians 1:13-14
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
I. Our Need of Forgiveness
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life
II. The Forgiver
III. Our Response
Our response is two-fold:
Receive Forgiveness
Extend Forgiveness
Receive Forgiveness
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9
Psalm 51,
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Extend Forgiveness
Col. 3:12-17
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We Believe in the Church
Matthew 16:130-20 | The church is Jesus’ “called out” global community of sinners made saints who right now constitute His physical presence in the world and who will one day rule and reign with Him forever.
WE BELIEVE IN THE CHURCH
Matthew 16:13-20
The church is Jesus’ “called out” global community of sinners made saints who right now constitute His physical presence in the world and who will one day rule and reign with Him forever.
I Believe in the Holy Spirit
John 14:15-27 | The greatest gift the Father gives to those who follow the Son is the Holy Spirit.
I Believe in the Holy Spirit
John 14:15-27
Main Idea: The greatest gift the Father gives to those who follow the Son is the Holy Spirit.
I. Who is the Holy Spirit? (V14-17)
A. The Holy Spirit is a Person
A person who can be grieved. (Ephesians 4:30)
A person who can be outraged (Hebrews 10:29)
A person who can be lied to (Acts 5:3)
A person who loves (Romans 15)
B. The Holy Spirit is Fully God
Heteros - another of different (class group or type) quality than the former
Allos - another of the same kind
II. What does the Holy Spirit do? (V16-17, 26-27)
A. Regenerates
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Ezekiel 36:26-27
B. Advocates
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:26-28
C. Teaches
“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21
““But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-14
III. Why do we need the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit warms our affections for Christ.
From There He Will Come to Judge the Living and the Dead
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 | Jesus will return bringing righteous judgment on those who reject him while vindicating those who believe in him.
From There He Will Come to Judge the Living and the Dead
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
“Justice for everyone is an alarming thought because it raises the possibility that it might come upon oneself after all.” ~ Fleming Rutledge
Main Idea: Jesus will return bringing righteous judgment on those who reject him while vindicating those who believe in him.
I. The Necessity of Judgment Day
Judgment Day is coming because justice is at the heart of God’s very character & nature. If God allowed evil & evildoers to go unchecked, it would actually be unjust of him.
Psalm 89:14: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne”
Deut. 32:4: “...his work is perfect, For all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and upright is he.”
II. The Soberness of Judgment Day
Two reasons this is a sober day:
Every single person will appear before the judgment seat of Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:10; Ecc. 12:14, 1 Cor. 4:5 Matt 25:31-32, etc.)
Divine justice & punishment will be given to those who reject Christ
“Hell is the trajectory of a soul, living a self-absorbed, self-centered life, going on and on forever… Hell is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory written into infinity.” ~ Tim Keller
“The doors to hell are locked from the inside.” ~ C.S. Lewis
III. The Hope of Judgment Day
This is a hopeful day both personally and cosmically.
Personally: for those who have been saved by the grace of Jesus, our judgment day has already happened.
“God has already revealed our guilt, at the cross, and we have already agreed with his verdict, in our confession of sin and our ongoing repentance of it. Judgment Day happened for us, in a very real sense, already, at the Place of the Skull outside the gates of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.” ~ Russell Moore
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Cosmically: injustice, evil, and persecution will not go unchecked; they have an expiration date
3 Implications of this Doctrine:
We should regularly confess & repent of our sins (2 Pet. 3:8-9)
We should be gentle with the sins & struggles of others (Rom. 14:10-12)
We resolve to fulfill every good “work of faith” (2 Thess. 1:11-12)
He Ascended to Heaven & is Seated at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty
Ephesians 1:15-23 | Jesus ascends to heaven as the exalted King who establishes his church and empowers our mission.
Main Idea: Jesus ascends to heaven as the exalted King who establishes his church and empowers our mission.
I. The Exalted King of Kings
3 Aspects of Jesus’ enthronement to consider:
1. Authority
Daniel 7:13-14:
13 “I saw in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
There came one like a son of man,
And he came to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before him.
14 And to him 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 one
That shall not be destroyed.
2. Supremacy
Hebrews 1:3b–4: After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
3. Now & Not Yet (“Not only in this age but also in the one to come”)
II. The Head of the Church
In this role, Jesus continues his ministry as our great high priest. This means:
1. We are always connected to God
“We are connected to Jesus, by faith, as a head is with a body. Our head, then, is seated now at the right hand of God, always in God’s presence and always in communion with him. This is true of you always. That’s important to remember in those moments when we feel as though God is distant from us. Sometimes when I am suffering, or when I am plagued with doubt or fear, it’s easy for me to feel as though God is far away. When that happens, I almost immediately find myself drifting away into prayerlessness, and, ultimately, a sense of despair. The problem is that I assume that God’s nearness is defined by the strength of my faith at the moment or by my ability to “read” what God is doing providentially in my life. That assumes that I was ever coming to God without a Mediator. My nearness to God is in Christ, and Jesus hasn’t moved.” ~ Russell Moore
2. We can have confidence before God
“Our prayer life stinks most of the time. But what if you heard Jesus praying aloud for you in the next room? Few things would calm us more deeply… If you are in Christ, you have an intercessor, a present-day mediator, one who is happily celebrating with his Father the abundant reason for both to embrace you in their deepest heart.” ~ Dane Ortlund
III. The Captain of the Mission
Nearly every place the ascension is mentioned in the Scriptures, it is tied to the mission of God. The two go hand in hand and are intrinsically connected.
Luke 24:45–48, 50-51: 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things…. 50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
Acts 1:8–9: 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
In this role, Jesus continues his ministry as prophet. Jesus’ rule & reign is extended into all the world through the mission of the church, as we declare & display the good news of the gospel. As the captain of the mission, Jesus is working in, over, and through the church to continue seeking and saving the lost.