WEBVTT 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:13.359 This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:18.399 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:26.079 Hey, if you're your Bibles, would you open to Luke chapter 24? 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:29.679 Okay, Luke chapter 24, verses 50 through 53. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:32.640 We look at the last three verses of the book of Luke. 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:35.439 That's Luke chapter 24, verses 50 through 53. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:38.960 If you don't have a Bible, there should be a Bible somewhere around you. 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:49.920 And if you're sitting next to someone who doesn't have a Bible or doesn't have a Bible open, I give you permission just to awkwardly slide your Bible in between the two of you or just let them look at the words on the screen. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:53.759 I just think that the best use of our time this morning is just looking at God's word. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:58.000 Um that's Luke's chapter 24, verses 50 through 53. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:00.479 For those of us who don't know, we didn't heal here, Neil. 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:02.000 My name is Leo Almeida. 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:08.159 I work at Cornerstone Community Bible Church, where I'm a junior high and the high school pastor where I've been the last several years. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:09.359 Um I love my job. 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:16.159 I'm passionate about teenagers, but whenever Neil texts me about preaching here this morning, I literally jumped at the chance. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:17.599 Okay, I jumped at the chance. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:22.560 I have literally had October 7th circled on my calendar for three months now. 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:26.879 Okay, I I I love the mission of this church, I love the direction of this church. 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:31.359 I loved being here last time, and I'm extremely excited to be here today. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:33.040 Um, a little bit about myself. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:34.959 I'm the youngest of three boys. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:38.239 I'm the youngest, I'm the youngest sibling in my family, the youngest of three boys. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:48.640 Um, I don't know how many of you are the youngest in your family or the baby in your family, um, but that sounds cute at face value, but that role of being the youngest can actually be pretty tricky. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:02:06.239 Okay, being the youngest can actually be pretty tricky because what happens is your your older siblings, they look at the way your parents are treating you, they'll flash back to how your parents treated them, they start to spot inconsistencies and they say, wait a second, I got whooped for that. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:07.519 Right? 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.080 Wait, I didn't get that privilege that young. 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:12.000 Dad, you're going soft. 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:13.520 Mom, you're going soft. 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:18.240 So as the youngest one, you can actually be born into the antagonist role just accidentally. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:24.879 It sounds cute at face value, like you're the baby of the family, but that can actually be very, very tricky, and that was no different in my family. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:32.400 You know, usually with a collection of boys, any sort of tension could be um uh taken care of just via wrestling. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:38.639 But my brothers are so much bigger than I am that they would look absolutely ridiculous pinning down someone as small as I did. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:44.960 So, even though things did get physical sometimes, the majority of our warfare was psychological. 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:48.800 My brothers were evil masterminds. 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:49.360 Okay? 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:55.599 They knew that I was deathly afraid of the dark. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:57.360 And by was, I mean am. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.879 Just extremely afraid of the dark. 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:02.159 I'm glad you find that funny. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:03.919 But I was just extremely afraid of the dark. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:08.240 So I lived in Angola, Africa, and what happened is um the electricity would go out a lot. 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:09.680 Like the power would just go out. 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:15.919 And for someone like me, when the powers would go out, like thinking of being a being in a room this well lit, all of a sudden everything is completely dark. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:20.960 And when I would do it, I would just cower back and I'd be like, man, this is super scary, isn't it, guys? 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:25.680 Guys, and they were gone. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:32.400 And I knew my oldest brother was already, he already had his eyelids flipped backwards and he was ready to pop out and scare me at any moment. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:32.879 Right? 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:37.599 So they knew I was also deathly afraid of horror movies. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:39.680 Okay, just deathly afraid of horror movies. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:51.120 So what they would do is they would go watch a horror movie and they'd come back and tell me about it like, man, that that ghost in that movie, he really likes little boys just like you, in a house just like this one. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:51.759 Right? 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:59.120 So I was deathly afraid of those things, and I will never forget the one specific time their evil mastermindness peaked. 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:00.960 Okay, this is about 2004. 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:03.280 I was in sixth grade, so I was 11 years old. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:09.199 So whenever you're if you're a boy and you're 11 years old, what happens is it's no longer um socially acceptable for you to be scared. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:11.039 You can't cry in public, you gotta be tough. 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:12.879 I mean, you have a locker now for crying out loud. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:15.120 Like, this is time to be be strong and be tough. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:16.560 So we're in my brother's car. 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:17.600 It was all three of us. 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:21.759 Um, my me and my my younger, me and my brother were in the backseat, and my oldest brother was driving at the time. 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:29.839 He's about 20 years old, and he was telling us about this movie that he just finished watching called Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:34.319 And as he's doing the usual, he's describing to me the movie. 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:36.560 I'm thinking, I'm not scared. 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:37.920 I'm 11 now. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:39.680 Okay, this worked last decade. 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:41.199 I'm no longer scared like this. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:49.519 I'm being tough, I'm hanging in there, and he's describing, hey, the chainsaw, he put it up, he was running the chainsaw, but and I was like, dude, I'm immune to this. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:55.680 And then as we're pulling up to a light, he said two things that cut at my soul. 00:04:56.319 --> 00:05:02.240 One, he said, you know that that was about a true story that happened here in Texas, right? 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:07.759 And I was like, I know, you know, the Texas is in the title, I know. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:13.120 And then he turns around and goes, you know, they never found the killer, right? 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:17.040 And I was like, I don't care. 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:17.920 It's whatever. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:20.800 But in my heart, I was like, I'm gonna die next. 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:23.040 Like, I'm gonna die next, right? 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:28.480 But that feeling, okay, when someone is on the loose or someone is at large, that feeling is unique. 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:31.600 That's an eerie, eerie, very, very scary feeling. 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:33.040 Let me give you another example, okay? 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:36.319 I remember forget when I was five or six years old, I first watched Thriller. 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:53.360 For those of you who don't know who are not familiar with Thriller, it's a movie slash music video by Michael Jackson in which he was a werewolf slash zombie, and he's terrorizing a girl at the climax, and she uh closes her eyes to brace for impact, and then she opens her eyes, and she was it was just a dream. 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.240 Okay, Michael Jackson is in fact just Michael Jackson. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.560 He's not a werewolf or a zombie. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:00.879 And he's like, get up, no, it's it's it's okay, get up. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:07.680 And he grabs her hand and they're walking out, and then he shoots a look at the camera and he has werewolf eyes. 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:13.600 And I remember watching that as being a five-year-old, like, we must find and destroy Michael Jackson. 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:16.319 At all costs, we must destroy Michael Jackson. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:17.920 Because that feeling is eerie. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:23.120 When someone is on the loose, when someone is at large, that's an eerie, unique feeling. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:33.199 For those of us in here who are afraid of spiders, afraid of spiders, you know that finding a tarantula in your bed in the middle of the night, that's like the second worst thing that can happen. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:41.680 The worst thing that can happen is if you find a spider, turn to get a weapon, and then you turn back, spider's gone. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:42.319 Right? 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:43.199 That's the terrible. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:44.319 I see people like scratch themselves. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:45.920 She's not, they're not spiders in here. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:48.720 But that feeling is is eerie, okay? 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:58.160 But I'm here to tell you this morning, that feeling right there of someone being on the loose or someone being at large, that feeling, that feeling is what Easter was all about. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:01.040 That feeling is is Easter. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:05.439 Okay, the grave is empty and Jesus is currently at large. 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:14.959 The grave is empty and Jesus is right now on the loose, and all we're left with is mountains of internal and external evidence that he got up and he walked off by himself. 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:23.439 Okay, if he if Jesus Christ was not raised from the death, dead, death still reigns and sin isn't completely paid for. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:28.639 But Acts 2 tells us that he died, but the pangs of death could not hold them down. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:30.399 And that is great news. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:30.959 Okay? 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:34.800 Now, unfortunately for a lot of people, the gospel stops right there. 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:41.839 When they're teaching or meditating on the gospel, the gospel stops right there, but they're forgetting one huge component. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:48.000 Now, there are about three events uh per year that three events per year in Jesus' life that we celebrate every year. 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:49.920 Okay, there's about three Jesus parties per year. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:52.480 One of them, of course, is Christmas, okay? 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:54.319 Jesus uh comes to earth. 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:56.079 The word became flesh. 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:01.759 Okay, God's promises of old got legs, God's promises got teeth, God's promises got a body. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:10.800 Okay, Philippians chapter 2 says that he did not count equality with God, something to be grasped, but he emptied himself and he was born in the likeness of man. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:12.319 Okay, that's the incarnation. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:14.480 That's actually the heart of Christianity. 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:15.839 That's the heart of the gospel. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.319 That's Emmanuel, God with us. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:21.439 Okay, religion is man chasing after God. 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:24.639 Christianity is God ferociously pursuing man. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:26.000 That's the incarnation, right? 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:35.039 As a matter of fact, as a new uncle, as someone who just became an uncle, I can actually enjoy Christmas a lot more as an uncle. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:39.759 Because four years ago, when my nephew was born, it was September 11, 2014. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:43.039 I belted out the words, happy birthday, right? 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:44.159 Happy birthday. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:48.240 And it was his birthday about four weeks ago, and I belted out the words, happy birthday. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:58.240 And even though, whenever he was born, I said happy birthday, there's still a considerable amount of ambiguity as to what type of person he's gonna be. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:00.799 We don't know what he's gonna do with his life. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:02.879 We don't know what he's gonna accomplish. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:05.519 That's completely different with Jesus. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:08.960 Before he was born, we knew exactly what he was gonna do. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.120 We knew exactly what he's gonna accomplish. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:17.279 Jesus is the only person in human history who we had his resume before we had his birth certificate. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:18.960 That is a happy birthday. 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:21.519 That's a baby shower we need to celebrate, right? 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:24.399 But that's Jesus' party number one that we have every year is Christmas. 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:26.480 Number two is Good Friday. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:27.840 Okay, it's Good Friday, okay? 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:29.919 Jesus died for our sins. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:35.200 That's a part of his resume, is that Jesus Christ was born to die. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.600 Jesus Christ was born to die. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:38.799 And that's ironic, right? 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:54.399 Because if you look at that list of people, the top 15 or top 20 people who are the top 15 most influential people in the world, whether it's Buddha, whether it's Gandhi, whether it's Muhammad, whether it's Einstein, none of those people will tell you I was born to die. 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:56.960 Okay, but Jesus was born to die. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:00.080 He keeps speaking in terms of this hour. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:02.000 You guys right now are going through the book of John. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:08.399 I want you to pay attention, have your eyes open and your ears sensitive to any time Jesus is speaking into relation of this hour. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:10.159 My hour is not yet come. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:11.600 My hour is drawing near. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:13.440 Okay, my hour is finally here. 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:18.240 And that's all his life is tunnel vision to the point where he's going to die. 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:19.519 He was born to die. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:26.480 He never comes out and explicitly says, Hey, I was born to die, but he keeps calling himself the bread of life. 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:29.120 The bread of life. 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:34.399 If you're like me, you hear the words bread of life, and you just assume that's Jesus being Shakespearean. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:38.000 He's just coming up with cute metaphors talking about how awesome he is. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:42.799 But he's speaking to people in the food industry and he knows where their brain's gonna go. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:44.960 Here's what Jesus is getting at. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:47.360 Think of what you ate last night. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:48.879 Okay? 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.440 Think of what you ate this morning. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:58.080 Think of what you eat for lunch, think of what you eat for dinner. 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:05.840 Everything you ate, or everything you eat, has to die in order for it to nurture you. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:13.519 Whether it's grains, whether it's lettuce, whether it's poultry, whether it's meat, everything has to die in order to nurture you. 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:15.679 Jesus was speaking to farmers and fishers. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:17.519 This is where their brains would have gone. 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:18.879 I am the bread of life. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:23.200 In order for this reconciliation to work, I'm going to have to be plucked up and killed. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:25.039 Jesus was born to die. 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:28.879 God did not give us a president or a teacher or a scientist or a doctor. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:29.840 He gave us a savior. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:30.799 He was born to die. 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.759 But that's Jesus party number two, the second thing we celebrate. 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:36.399 And then third, I just said is it's Easter. 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:41.600 Okay, the grave is empty, sin is paid for in full, and death is defeated. 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:44.799 Now there is a fourth event in Jesus' life. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:49.279 There is a fourth event that comes with drastic implications. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:54.000 There's a fourth event in Jesus' life that caused that we should look at a lot more. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:58.240 And it's right here in Luke chapter 24, verses 50 and 53. 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:00.159 So let's just look at these words together. 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:06.399 Now keep in mind, this is resurrected Jesus talking. 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:11.600 Um, after he's resurrected from the dead, he spends about 40 days teaching and 40 days eating in front of people. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:15.440 So you what you notice is resurrected Jesus is all about the foods, right? 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:18.639 So he's either always cooking or he's always a pastor that food. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:24.399 Because he's trying to explain to the trying to show the disciples, listen, I'm not a projection of your grieving process, I'm here. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:27.039 Ghosts can't have prep breakfast, right? 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:29.440 So this is how this era ends. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:36.480 And he led them out, Jesus led them out as far as Bethany. 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:41.039 And lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:47.200 And while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:55.519 And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple blessing God. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:57.440 That's the word of the Lord. 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:05.120 Friends, often forgot, Jesus ascended up to the Father. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:08.080 Okay, Jesus ascended up to the Father. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:12.000 And friends, the ascension is epically important. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:16.639 Okay, the ascension of Jesus Christ is epically, epically important. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:22.559 Now, a great way to describe what something is is to first pinpoint exactly what it's not. 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.440 So here are a couple things that the ascension is not. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:28.879 Friends, the ascension is not just another miracle to convict. 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:33.600 What you notice about Jesus' life is he's doing miracles to convince and to convict, and rightfully so. 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:38.559 If I turn your analogy into Capri Son, all of a sudden Leo's words hold a lot more weight, right? 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:38.960 Right? 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:44.799 So he's always doing miracles to convince to convict, but he's not um ascending to the Father with that same thing in mind. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:45.200 Okay? 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:48.000 In John 5, he says, I'm doing miracles so you can marvel. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:49.679 That's not why he's ascending. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:55.679 Okay, he's not he's not going, okay, if I could just show them that gravity can't hold me down, maybe they'll but no. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:58.080 Okay, so it's not just another miracle to convince. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:04.480 Um, second of all, the ascension is not merely, it's not merely space travel. 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:06.399 It's not he's not just space traveling. 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:10.879 He's not like, okay, now he was down here with us, now he has a helicopter view of us. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:17.840 He was not just going to another spot in the universe, yet he was he was changing his relationship to the universe. 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:21.600 Friends, Jesus Christ was ascending into glory. 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:24.320 Jesus was ascending into glory. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:37.759 Now, if you've been a Christian for more than 25 or 26 minutes, you'll realize it's pretty difficult to cultivate intimacy with someone your five senses can't confirm. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:40.320 It's hard to talk to someone you can't see. 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:46.720 So what the new the natural propensity is, let me imagine Jesus as I'm praying. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.440 And if you're honest, you'll land in a picture like this. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:15:05.360 Jesus is a sandal wearing, blanket wrapped, soft smiling, ponytail-halving, introverted guy around a campfire listening to your prayers. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:10.720 Now, 2,000 years ago, you may have been in the right ballpark. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:14.879 2,000 years ago, you may have been in the right ballpark. 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:17.120 That's not the way he looks right now. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:18.639 That's and that's great news. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:20.720 That's not the way Jesus Christ looks right now. 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:24.639 So let me read you three snippets of Jesus in his glorified state. 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:33.120 I'm gonna read um from a couple different passages throughout the Bible, just three snippets of Jesus Christ in his glorified state, how he looks right now. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.559 The first one is in Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:38.320 It says this, okay? 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:47.840 I saw in the in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like the Son of Man, that's Jesus. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:53.039 And he came to the ancient of days, God the Father, and was presented before him. 00:15:53.519 --> 00:16:02.159 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, languages should serve him. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:12.240 His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:14.720 That's Jesus in his glory. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:15.919 That's Jesus in his glory. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:17.120 Let me do another snippet. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.279 This is in Revelation chapter 1, verses 10 through 16. 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:32.080 This is John speaking, and he says, This, okay, I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, Write what you see in a book, and send it to the seven churches. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:46.240 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands, one like the Son of Man, clothed with the white robe and with the golden sash around his chest. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:49.759 The hairs of his head were white like wool, like snow. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:17:00.720 The eye his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:11.920 In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face shone like the sun shining at full strength. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.640 It's Jesus in his glory. 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:15.839 I'm using another one. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:17.279 This is in Revelation chapter 19. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:26.799 It says this, then I saw the heavens open, and behold, a white horse, and the one sitting on the horse is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:34.720 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has the name written that no one knows but himself. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:41.839 He is clothed in a white robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:56.400 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in white linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses, and from his mouth comes a sharp sword which to strike down nations, and he will rule them with the rod of iron. 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:00.559 He will tread the winepress of fury of the wrath of the God Almighty. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:11.039 And on his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings, Lord of Lords. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:13.279 That's Jesus in his glory. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:17.519 Now, as I describe Jesus in his glory, I hesitate. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:29.039 Part of me hesitates because I describe Jesus Christ in his glory at the risk of making you feel the way I feel when I'm around Princeton Onwas. 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:41.200 I walked into my fourth grade class back in 2002 at Creech Elementary, my fourth grade homeroom class in the first day of school as a hip-hop-loving, basketball-obsessed African boy. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:45.279 And I was always the only one of my kind, so I panned the room for anyone else like me. 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:52.160 And I spotted one, and his name was Princeton Onwas, who's also a hip-hop-loving, basketball-obsessed African boy. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:57.519 And instead of being friends with him, in my boyish competition, I said, there can only be one, right? 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:01.519 So at recess, I would go right at him. 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:06.880 Okay, I would go right, no matter if it was kickball, soccer, basketball, I went right at him, full speed. 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:07.839 He lived in my neighborhood. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:10.400 We used to go to the wreck, and I would go right at him. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:15.279 I was always, always competing against him until something tragic happened in seventh grade. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:17.440 We became friends, right? 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:18.480 This is the weirdest thing. 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:20.559 We became friends, and actually, we became good friends. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:26.319 He played on my basketball team, and we got to spend a lot of practice time together, a lot of idle locker room time together. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:28.079 We were on buses together. 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:36.160 We became very good friends until freshman sophomore year, Princeton started separating himself from the pack. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:40.480 He started blossoming into a very, very good basketball player. 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:46.960 All of us had dreams of taking basketball far and making it big, but Princeton looked like the one that could actually do it. 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:52.480 And I'll never forget my junior year, the first time Princeton dunked in a game. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:20:01.039 All of us used to stay after practice before and try to dunk after practice, but Princeton did it in a packed gym, in a game. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:06.880 It's like he took off the floor as one person and he landed as a different person. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:12.240 I remember looking at him as he was running down the court and thinking, is that a big deal? 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:15.039 Because he's not acting like that's a big deal. 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:19.279 And then senior year came and he blossomed into one of the best basketball players in Houston. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.720 I mean, he was really top five, top ten basketball players in Houston. 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:23.680 Now, time lapsed. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:27.759 I went to Oklahoma State to study engineering, and he went over to Utah to play basketball. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:31.279 And lo and behold, one day I'm coming in from the library after a long day's wages. 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:37.599 I turn on Sports Center and I'm looking at the Sports Center top ten and I see this guy who runs very familiar. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:39.200 And it's Princeton. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:42.640 He's up there, he's playing well on the national level. 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:45.599 Now, I grew up calling this guy P Boogie. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:48.160 I grew up calling him Skateboard P. 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:50.400 I grew up calling him the hamburglar. 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:52.480 I grew up calling him Princess. 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:55.839 And now when I see him, I have affection for him. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.279 I want to reminisce with him. 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.319 I want to hang out with him, but I hesitate. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.640 There is a hesitation there. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:05.519 I consider the fact that he's six foot six. 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:09.680 I consider the fact that he has the deepest voice in the Western Hemisphere, right? 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:12.880 I consider the fact that he has a basketball contract. 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:18.720 Okay, I consider the fact that he has fans and people who want to interview him and a highlight reel on YouTube. 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:25.839 I consider those things, all of a sudden I hesitate and I start to think, can I even relate to you anymore? 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:28.480 You've so surpassed where we were. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:31.119 You've so made it so much farther than we were. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.799 Can I even relate to you anymore? 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:37.519 I describe Jesus Christ in glory at the risk of making you feel that exact same way. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:40.960 I can relate to peasant Jesus, president Jesus. 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:43.119 Well, I don't know. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:44.960 But friends, I want to encourage me now. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.880 Like, no, that there is, yes, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:57.759 But the Hebrews writer would tell you right now listen, the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, the King of the universe, he knows what it's like to feel anxiety. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.519 He knows what it's like to be nervous. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.880 He knows what it's like to be you down here. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:08.000 So, all the more now, this king in glory, we should not hesitate to go to him. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:17.039 Now more, we should draw near the throne of grace with even more confidence, knowing the one who is sovereign over all knows exactly what it's like to be down here. 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:20.720 We draw near to him now, all the more that he is in glory. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:27.119 Now, one of my favorite theologians, Tim Keller, whenever he's describing the ascension, he says this. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:46.720 Just as it's ridiculous to build a beautiful house if no one lives in it, just as it's ridiculous to cook a big meal if no one eats it, just as it's ridiculous to build a powerful bomb with no detonator, in that same way, the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus are of no use without the ascension. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:50.160 The ascension is the detonator for everything that Jesus did. 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:57.680 Now, in these short passages in Luke chapter 24, it says it shows us that the the ascension detonated two things for us. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:02.079 Okay, the ascension, first off, detonated the helper. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:04.799 Okay, the ascension detonated the helper. 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:07.279 So look at verses 50 and 51 real quick. 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:16.799 It says this lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:23.359 And while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:29.359 Now our temptation as we read that, okay, is just to skim over the word blessed, okay? 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:30.720 We it's kind of like the bird of life. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:36.079 We just kind of assume Jesus is kind of just spewing some religious jargon as he's floating up to the sky. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.359 And yes, okay, he was pledging to them everlasting mercy. 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:41.599 He was pledging to them everlasting grace, okay? 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:47.200 Everlasting mercy is yours, everlasting grace is yours, everlasting peace is yours, okay? 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:53.359 And he's doing these things with his hands lifted up, pointing to the source of all blessing. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:57.119 And as he's doing this, the Bible says he is carried up. 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:01.440 Now, I don't know how many of you were born or raised in the 1980s, 1970s. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:06.960 I personally wasn't, but I've watched enough movies from then to know how exactly how every movie ends. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:11.680 What usually happens is the protagonist will say something witty to tie the whole plot back together. 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:15.839 He'll jump in his motorcycle andor Miata with his dream girl. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:22.000 They'll drive off into the sunset, and then something all something's always there to remind me, we'll start playing. 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:24.400 Or don't stop believing, we'll start playing. 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:24.880 Okay? 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:28.640 And then the credits will start to roll and everything will start to fade out. 00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:29.039 Okay? 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:32.000 That's exactly what's not happening here. 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:33.519 That's not happening here. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:37.519 Because Jesus did not come here to earth to pass out blessings and leave. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:44.480 He was not coming here to earth to the same way our favorite celebrities go back to their old neighborhood or go back to their old junior high. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.519 He was not trying to pass out blessings and leave, okay? 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:56.640 Those things like like blessing or mercy and grace and and peace, those things are faculties of our hope. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:57.039 Okay? 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:00.960 They're faculties of the one we ultimately have our hope in. 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:02.400 Our hope is in God. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:07.359 That's the hope of the gospel, is that we get to enjoy God forever. 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:08.400 That's the whole hope. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:10.960 Okay, Genesis 3, we got kicked out of God's presence. 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:14.160 The rest of the Bible is God pursuing us and getting us back into his presence. 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:18.319 That's the hope of the gospel, is that we get God, not stuff. 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:19.200 We get God. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:24.799 So grace, mercy, and peace, those are faculties of God, but we we really want God. 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:28.319 So the question is not what was the blessing? 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:31.519 The question is, who was the blessing? 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:33.839 Okay, who was the blessing? 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:39.920 And towards the end of Jesus' life, he was very adamant about talking about the helper. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:41.759 Okay, the helper. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:48.400 In fact, in Acts chapter 1 version of this story, he tells us, listen, stay here until the helper comes. 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:51.279 Stay here until the helper comes, and we are empowered. 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:53.039 You're gonna be empowered by the helper. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.480 And obviously, the helper is the Holy Spirit. 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:06.400 Okay, the night before Jesus took the cross, he takes, he rounds up his disciples in an attic-like environment and he starts briefing them about the helper. 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:10.000 It's called the upper room discourse, but he starts briefing them about the helper. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:13.039 Let me just list off some things that the helper comes with. 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:14.960 Let me tell you some things the helper comes with. 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:17.680 One, the helper comes with the nearness of God. 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:20.480 Okay, the helper comes with the nearness of God. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:23.759 John 14, verses 16 through 17 say this. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:34.240 And I will ask the Father, this is Jesus speaking, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper to be with you forever. 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:41.279 Even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:46.319 But you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:56.319 A lot of us as we do life, um, a lot of us as we do our Christian walk, oftentimes we believe that it would be easier if we hung out with Jesus like the disciples did. 00:26:56.480 --> 00:27:00.240 It'd be so nice if we could just get a hug from Jesus, or maybe just a text from Jesus. 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:04.960 It'd be so nice if we can just hang out with them in a way that our five senses could confirm. 00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:11.039 But for it, I'm here to tell you, we have Jesus right now in the way that the disciples early on did not have him. 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:18.400 Okay, when Jesus was here on earth, okay, he could send blessings, but Jesus was spatially constricted. 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:20.960 He was spatially constricted. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:26.799 And what he's doing, he's giving us the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will be inside of you everywhere you go. 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:31.759 He was detonating his presence in a way that we can have him everywhere we go. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:33.599 Friends, Moses did not have that. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:42.000 I teach a Bible study right now to my high schoolers, and I was talking to them about how, like, God, by a pillar of cloud, he led them through the wilderness. 00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:46.559 And my high schooler kind of just frowned and go, Man, I wish that would happen today. 00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:48.319 I wish I could see God. 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:51.119 And I'm like, listen, don't get to heaven and tell Moses that. 00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:55.920 Because Moses is going to turn around and look at you and say, You had the spirit living inside of you. 00:27:56.160 --> 00:27:58.880 He had that cloud living inside of you. 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:02.880 Okay, so he was detonating his presence in a way that we can't lose him again. 00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:06.799 This is why Jesus tells his mom things like, Hey, woman, don't cling to me. 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:07.920 Don't cling to me. 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:09.920 I have to ascend to the Father. 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:12.880 Okay, that sounds kind of mean, but Jesus was not being taboo. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:15.920 He wasn't saying, Hey, my skin is too pure, don't cling to me. 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.000 I'm too holy for you, don't cling to me. 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:24.400 No, he was saying, listen, I'm gonna detonate God's presence in a way that we can't have another weekend like this one again. 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:28.079 I'm detonating the presence of God in a way that we can't lose him again. 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:29.839 And friends, that is huge for us. 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:35.759 That's huge for us to understand that he comes with the nearness of God because this is not a long-distance relationship. 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:38.000 He's incredibly near to us. 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:42.559 In Genesis chapter 28, we have a story of a man named Jacob. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:49.680 And Jacob is going on a journey, and Jacob is tired and he falls asleep, puts a rock under his head, and he falls asleep. 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:52.480 And as he's asleep, God gives him a prophetic dream. 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:57.440