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[0:00] Well, we know it's well with our soul because of what he did, not what we did. And that's great, isn't it? I can know tonight that I'm saved because of what Jesus did.

[0:11] And I'm rejoicing in his work. I'm going to have Greg come up here just real quickly. And I want to let him tell you what all happened yesterday. I know most of you know because you were there. I am very blessed and proud of what Greg did and how he organized it and all the people that helped.

[0:26] And it was not yesterday. I'm talking about Friday, but they did it on Saturday also. Thank you all so very much. I was very blessed. Tell them a little bit about what all happened. Friday we had the South Forsyth Easter Egg Hunt.

[0:39] It was a blast leading up to the event. Started out, registration was kind of slow. A lot of people didn't pour in. But in the weeks leading up to the event, it began to fill up rather quick. And then we maxed out around 500 people.

[0:51] And then the Lord really blessed. And then news outlets began to share it. So Forsyth County News posted it. Dawson County News posted it. And then people were saying, we're just going to go. We're just going to go. We get there right around 3 o'clock.

[1:02] And there's already a couple people there waiting for us. It started at 5. And it was incredible. People came out. I heard James speaking Japanese. I heard Brother Tai practicing Chinese.

[1:15] I heard all sorts of different. There he is. Brother Tai practicing Chinese. All sorts of different languages being thrown around. All sorts of different people came out. And we handed out these gospel cards. They all got the gospel.

[1:26] A little presentation in the back of the card. An invitation to church. And I just want to thank everybody who came out. Some people really stepped in last minute. But everyone who came out couldn't have happened without you guys. And thank you so much.

[1:37] But it's a real blessing. Let's pray that we see some of these families and people join us for church. Thank you. Amen. Well, I got there. And it was all organized. And I was like, good night. Man, somebody knows what they're doing around here.

[1:48] I know I wasn't in charge of this. I couldn't have figured it all out. But y'all did a great job. I was very, very blessed. I walked around all of y'all working and talking to people. All you guys in pink t-shirts.

[2:00] I was just so blessed to see all you manly men in your pink t-shirts. That was Greg's idea, by the way. I would have had you men in a manly shirt.

[2:12] But Greg had you in a pink t-shirt. Now, I want to talk to you about next Sunday real quickly while you open your Bibles to Luke 24. We need to pray.

[2:26] And we need to ask God to work. Brother Rotman is a converted Jew. He accepted Christ as his personal Savior.

[2:38] He is a master's degree from Juilliard, which that's like Harvard and Princeton and Yale. He knows how to play it as well as I do. He can really.

[2:50] That wasn't a joke. It was. He can really play the piano. And I can't remember how long he said he'll play tomorrow night. But it's going to be playing for a long time.

[3:01] It'll be an hour and 15 minutes, I think it was. And there'll be no preaching. He said, don't worry. I'll take care of it. He said, you just get them to come.

[3:13] And he's going to tell the story. If you know a Jewish person, Sam Wilson, he's already given me. He said he'll put $1,000 in the Easter offering. No, he did.

[3:23] But if you've got a Jewish friend, you ought to try to get him to come. They'll come for the classical piano. And they'll come for the fact that he's an extremely accomplished pianist.

[3:35] By the way, this man doesn't play at churches. He sets aside several times a year that he'll go play at a church. Mostly, he plays in massive concerts all over the world.

[3:46] He makes dozens of trips every year all over the world playing. And they fill up concert halls to hear him preach. And he's coming here. And he just said, well, if y'all could take care of me getting there and maybe a little love offering, I'll do what I can.

[4:02] And so, Sunday morning, he'll play during the offertory or maybe a little bit more. And then Sunday night, it'll be all on him. And he will tell his story of how somebody shared the gospel with him and how he came to know Jesus.

[4:16] So, it's a little bit unobtrusive. Not as in your face as I might do it. But that's probably good. And so, if you have friends and they like piano, or if you have Jewish people, he's a Jewish man.

[4:31] And they can come and hear him. And I think it'll be a blessing. It's a wonderful way to try to get people to hear the gospel and be saved. Now, can we just be honest?

[4:43] My kind of music is an audio book. So, on the way to church on Sunday mornings, I listen to the Bible. On the way home, I'm listening to Audible.

[4:55] I'm listening to a book on General George Marshall. And so, I don't listen to music very much. But if it'll get somebody to come to Jesus, I'll listen to music.

[5:06] Amen? So, you use it and try to get people to come. If you would, that would be a great blessing. Take your Bible. Go with me, if you would, down to Luke chapter 24. Isn't this a good book?

[5:18] I mean, the book of Luke's fantastic. Luke 24 is fantastic. The whole Bible's wonderful. I don't know how anybody could not love the Bible. If you read the Bible and preach the Bible and teach the Bible as much as vision does, it's got to be really good.

[5:32] It's a crazy week for them. And Jesus has died and been buried and rose again. And then they're going to spend the next six weeks, just short of six weeks, they're going to spend that time with Jesus.

[5:45] He's going to end up spending 40 days with them. A month and 10 days. He's going to walk with them, eat with them, teach them.

[5:55] He's going to be seen by dozens of people. It's all on purpose. It is on purpose so that this isn't some fleeting dream that they had or some ghost that they saw or some spirit.

[6:07] But God has raised Jesus from the dead. And then he is going to ascend into heaven and be seated at the right hand of the fathers.

[6:17] Go with me to verse 46. And he said unto them, thus it is written. And thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.

[6:31] Now you need to underline in your Bible, it is written. That's code for it's in the Bible. Okay?

[6:42] That's code for it's in the Bible. They didn't say open your Bibles. They just said stuff like this. It's written. So the Bible is clear that it is written that it was necessary for Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah.

[6:58] And you remember his name is Lord or titles are Lord Jesus Christ. Lord's not his name. It's a title. King, boss, owner, ruler, Jesus.

[7:11] He's in charge, Jesus. Jesus is his name. And Christ is another one of his titles. And Christ means anointed one. It means Messiah.

[7:22] And all through the Old Testament, the Messiah was to come and suffer and rise from the dead the third day. The Jews got that confused because there are plenty of verses where the Messiah will come and rule and reign and overthrow the enemy.

[7:37] And that's what they like to read about. You see what you want to see when you're reading. And that's why they got it. But Jesus says to me, look, guys, I had to do this. I had to come and die.

[7:47] I had to come and suffer. And then I had to rise from the dead on the third day, just like I said, verse 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem.

[8:05] If you got your Bible up in verse 47, that's another version of the Great Commission. Just like Matthew chapter 28, 18 through 20, Jesus said in verse 18, all power, all authority is given unto me in heaven and earth.

[8:18] I can say anything I want to say. And he said, go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And each of the Gospels, he gives it a little bit differently. And in 47, he says, I want it to start right here at Jerusalem, but I want it preached among all nations.

[8:37] Go to the end of the world. Don't forget Luke wrote this. He also wrote the book of Acts. And we'll look at that just a tad in a minute. Verse 48. And you are witnesses of these things.

[8:48] You have seen it all. You have watched me live. And you have watched me serve. And you have watched me preach. And you've watched me teach. And you've watched me suffer.

[8:59] And you've watched me die. And you've watched me rise again. And now, since you're witnesses, Acts 1.8 says, and after that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you. You shall be witnesses.

[9:12] And he said, you are witnesses here. Verse 49. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high.

[9:26] In verse 47, he gave them a commission. In verse 49, he made them capable because he sends the promise of power. Verse 50. And he led them out as far as to Bethany.

[9:39] And he lifted up his hands and blessed them. So he's on the Mount of Olives. He's over where he can see Bethany. He's headed towards the Bethany area. And he's leading them out there. He lifts up his wounded hands that still have scars in them.

[9:53] And he blesses them. And that's not some cheesy, God bless you. Like I might say, I try to mean that when I say it. But I mean, this is the God of heaven, Jesus, God in human flesh.

[10:05] And he is giving all heavenly blessings. In verse 51. And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried into heaven.

[10:16] Now, which underline parted from them. You know, we don't often get to this part of the story. But he is dead, buried, rose again, 40 days of proof.

[10:29] And now he's talking to them, walking along with them. They're probably getting used to it. They were really worried about it. Scared to death that first day. Maybe by five or six days, they begin to get used to seeing him again.

[10:41] Maybe by three weeks in, they're like, yes, it's good stuff. We got Jesus with us again. And 39 days, they're pretty well used to it. And day 40, he separates from them.

[10:52] And he is carried up into heaven. I'm going to preach this to you in just a second. But I need you to picture what just happened. They thought he was a spirit. And he said, touch me.

[11:03] I'm not a spirit. He said, give me something to eat. Watch me eat. Now they have walked with him and talked with him and seen him for 40 days. And he is all of a sudden a physical, real human being, God man, steps on a cloud and is carried out into heaven.

[11:24] Verse 52. And they worshiped him. They know he is who he says he is. He is exactly who he said he is and was.

[11:37] And he is that. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. I wish you'd circle great joy. Do you know the book of Luke starts with great joy and ends with great joy? A lot of sorrow in the middle of it.

[11:48] But at the very beginning, the very beginning of the story, if you recall, the angels start speaking about joy. And wise men come and Simeon and Anna and people and everything's happening.

[12:01] And at the beginning of Jesus' story, it's a wild and crazy story. And then he dies. And so you might be sad there for a moment, but he's not dead long.

[12:13] He rises from the dead and ascends back into heaven. And in verse 53, they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

[12:23] Father in heaven, help us tonight as we look at five things out of this passage of scripture, that they might bless us and strengthen us and increase our faith. You said faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

[12:36] And tonight as we read the Bible, build the faith of your people to believe in you and to trust you and to look to you. And I'll give you thanks for all you do in Jesus' name. Amen. So let's go back up to verse 46.

[12:48] If you would, and write this down somewhere. There is convincing proof of the resurrection. There is convincing proof of the resurrection. In verse 46, the Bible said, and he said to them, it's written.

[13:01] This had to happen. You shouldn't be shocked. No one ought to be standing around saying, why in the world did Jesus have to die? He's like, everybody knew that. If you ever read the 39 books of the Old Testament, you know that.

[13:13] And he said it was necessary. It was planned that Christ would rise and die. I would die and then rise from the dead on the third day. Now Jesus wasn't shocked, nor should anybody else have been.

[13:25] Go with me in your Bibles to John chapter 6 and verse 62. Jesus told him while he was alive, he was going to ascend to his father. He said, I'm going up. I came down and I'm going up.

[13:38] Look at verse 62. What? And if you shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before. Do you understand? That's kind of a wild thing. He's walking along talking to his boys and he's telling them what's going on in his life.

[13:51] He said, hey, what y'all going to do when you see me take off and go to heaven? What y'all going to do when you see me ascend? Look at it. What if you shall see the son of man ascend up to where he was before?

[14:05] Because Jesus said in somebody like me that had a beginning in 1954, he didn't have a beginning. Say amen right there. He has been always.

[14:16] He is God. And Jesus is God in human flesh. But the son of God has always existed. And Jesus said, I'm going back to my father. Look in John chapter 17 and verse 11.

[14:27] In John chapter 17 verse 11, he said, now I am no more in the world. But these are in the world. And I come to thee.

[14:38] Underline in your Bible. I come to thee. I'm coming to you. Holy father, keep through thine own name. Those whom thou has given me that they may be one as we are one.

[14:49] I'm coming home, father. I'm coming home, father. Now you need to know there are indisputable proofs that Jesus was alive. Go with me to Acts chapter 1 and verse 3.

[15:02] Luke, who writes the book of Luke, also writes a second volume in his series. And it's called Acts of the Apostles. Acts of the Holy Spirit. Acts of what God did in the church.

[15:14] And in verse 3, Luke writes to his people that he's disciplining. He says, to whom also he showed himself alive. Now underline that. He showed himself alive.

[15:26] He got up out of the grave. This is not, by the way, when I was in college, my professor said he believed in the resurrection. And he said, you know, you can feel Jesus on the wind.

[15:36] And you can feel him when the teardrops of rain fall on your face. That's not what's happening here. Jesus arose from the dead. Literally, physically, he arose from the dead.

[15:49] And Jesus was back. And he showed himself alive. He wasn't a spirit. He was alive. He wasn't a ghost. He was alive. After his passion.

[16:00] After his death. And how did he do it? Look at your Bible. Underline it. By many infallible proofs. He said, these things will hold up in a court of law. What I'm about to tell you will hold up in a court of law.

[16:13] Jesus arose from the dead. And he showed himself alive after his death with a lot of proofs. Here's the first one.

[16:24] He was seen of them. Seen of them. And underline 40 days. Now that's important. Whenever you notice something being used over and over in your Bible, you ought to stop and think, I wonder why it's used like that.

[16:38] Flood comes. It will be 40 days and 40 nights. Moses will be 40 years in the house of Pharaoh, 40 years in the wilderness, and 40 years leading the people of Israel.

[16:51] The nation of Israel will wander 40 years. Jesus will be tested 40 days. 40 is a number that the Old Testament people use to say, this is genuine proof.

[17:06] If it was three days, you might could doubt it. If it was a little bit less, you might could doubt it. But 40 days. And Jesus for 40 days. The time of testing and trial proved that he was alive.

[17:21] And while he was alive, guess what he was doing while he was alive? In verse 3, underline it. He was speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. So, you know, he talked to them before he died. And they didn't really pay attention.

[17:33] And they didn't really understand. But now he died. And he's been buried. And he's risen again. I imagine they were paying attention a lot better. I bet they had their ink pens out.

[17:45] I bet they had their notebooks. They're like, now, before we was hoping he was the one. Now we know he's the one. And he says, y'all better listen. And I got some instruction.

[17:56] And in verse 4, being assembled together with them. He was assembled together with them. He was there. He's running around with them. As much as you know I'm in this room, they know he's there.

[18:07] He's alive. And he's showing himself. And he's assembled with them. He's meeting with them. He said, now, y'all going to go to Jerusalem, but don't leave. You wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, you've heard of me.

[18:19] Go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 3. So you understand Jesus is alive. There's convincing proof he is alive. There's convincing proof he is alive.

[18:32] There were many eyewitnesses. Now, if you knew the Old Testament rules, you'd know this. You never take the word of one person against another person. That could be a he said, she said.

[18:44] That could be a your opinion and my opinion. But what you do take is the word of multiple witnesses. And in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 3, Paul says, the apostle Paul's writing it.

[18:57] Just remember, he's the writer. The author is the Holy Spirit of God. And he said, for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for your sins.

[19:07] Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. You need to underline in your Bible. Hey, Paul said, I'm telling you what the Old Testament said. According to our scriptures, according to the scriptures, it's like code for the Old Testament, 39 books.

[19:23] Jesus Christ died for our sins. Verse 4. He was buried and he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. Two times you need to underline that because the authority here is not the feeling.

[19:37] The authority here is not even the apostles. The authority is the word of Almighty God. You have a copy of it in your hands. You have a copy of this book they keep referring to.

[19:51] Verse 5. He was seen of Cephas. Cephas is another way of saying Peter's name. He was seen of Peter. And then all 12 of them saw him.

[20:02] And after that, there were at least 500 people that saw him at one time. And when Paul writes 1 Corinthians 15, he said, a lot of them are still living. A lot of them are still here.

[20:13] If y'all are wondering if he's really alive, we got about 350 of them still living. We'll just give them a call. Ask them. They saw him alive. And then after that, in verse 7, he was seen of James.

[20:26] And then of all the apostles. And last, Paul said, I saw him. Paul said, I got to see him too. That's a wonderful thing. The apostle Paul was allowed to see the resurrected Lord and know that.

[20:37] Now, before I leave this part of convincing proof of the resurrection, I want you to look at with me, if you would, at this thought. I want you to think on this thought.

[20:49] He had also proved he was alive. And he wasn't a ghost. And we read that this morning. I just didn't want to go back through it. And he said, touch me. He said, touch me.

[21:00] Just make sure. In fact, as you remember, one guy, we called him Doubting Thomas. Thomas didn't show up on a Sunday night service. And the next week when they were getting ready to meet, they were telling Thomas, they said, you ain't going to believe it.

[21:14] He showed up. And Thomas, I don't believe you. I wasn't there and I don't believe it. He said, unless I stick my finger in the nail prints, unless I touch him, I will not believe it. Jesus shows up at night and said, hey, Thomas, I heard you want to touch this.

[21:28] You want to make sure I'm here? Come on, buddy. I am alive. I am alive. He was alive. He wasn't a ghost. They looked at him and thought he was a spirit or a ghost.

[21:39] He said, I'm not a ghost. Watch this. Touch me. He said, ghosts don't have real bodies. And in case you're wondering if he just somehow put on a body, he said this.

[21:50] Y'all got anything to eat? If you're wondering if I'm alive, pass me some beans and taters and watch. And you'll catch on when I'm eating. I really am alive.

[22:01] Now go back in your Bible to Luke chapter 24 and verse 47. Luke 24 and verse 47. And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in this name among all nations, being at Jerusalem.

[22:17] He gave them a cause. He gave them a commission. He gave them a job. He told them what they were to do. Church, you have a cause.

[22:29] Church, you have a commission. Church, you have something to do. Church, you have a job. And he said, I want repentance and remission of sins to be preached.

[22:39] If people will repent, then their sins will be forgiven. You might want to make a note of this somewhere. But repent means a change of mind.

[22:51] It means turning away from and turning to something. It means that a person realizes they're wrong, going the wrong way, doing the wrong thing, and they turn back towards the right.

[23:04] It means realizing that you're serving a God that can't save and turning to the one and true, only one and true God. It means realizing that I'm unable and turning to him that's able.

[23:17] It means giving up on everything else but Jesus. Now I need you to listen to this real quick. So many people are going to go to hell because they're good. Hell is going to be full of good people.

[23:30] They need to repent. And repent means I think I'm good. Well, let's be honest. I'm not. So I'm going to turn from me thinking I'm good. Admit I'm a sinner. That's repentant. And I'm going to turn to Jesus.

[23:41] Let him save me. There's people over in China saying, I don't believe there is a God. They need to turn from that and say, I do believe there is a God. There are people in another part of the world saying, I believe Buddha is God. And they need to turn from that and turn to the one and only true God.

[23:55] And so he said, y'all go tell them. Go tell everybody in the world. There is one God and he is alive. And he overcame the grave and he overcame death. And he is a victorious and he's paid for sins.

[24:07] And they need to repent. Then he didn't just say repentance. He said, underline it, remission. If they'll turn to God, their sins will be remitted. That means they'll be freed from their sin, liberated from our sins.

[24:20] It means we are freed from the guilt of our sin. We're liberated from the penalty of our sin. We're released from the captivity of our sin. It means we've been pardoned and our debt has been canceled.

[24:34] That's what he means when he remits it. I mean, he says your sins are remitted. I told some people this improved, blew their mind. And I'm sure you already know it. I'm just reminding you.

[24:46] But if you were to go to God right now in prayer and say, God, do you remember when I did that wicked thing? He'd say, no, don't remember. When'd you do that? I don't remember that. No, you saw me.

[24:57] I did it. And you saw me. He'd go, no, I don't remember that. You see, I erased it. I blotted it out. I buried it in the sea. I put it behind my back. I nailed it to a cross.

[25:08] I separated it as far from you as the east is from the west. I'm sorry. I just don't remember. What a God. Nobody has a God like that God. Go preach repentance and remission of sins.

[25:21] Go tell them if you'll, you can quit doing all the stuff you're doing to get things fixed. If you'll just turn from that and turn to Jesus. The good news that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has produced should be preached in all nations.

[25:37] They were to start where they were and take it to all nations. Go with me if you would to Acts chapter 1 and verse 8. You know it, but we're back to it. The Holy Spirit is going to use Luke to write both of the book of Luke and the book of Acts.

[25:53] And Luke tells him in verse 8, you know he told you all to stay in Jerusalem until you were endued. He gave you a promise of the Father to be endued with power. He said, that's what I want you to do.

[26:04] You're to be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth. I need you to circle the word both.

[26:17] I don't preach missions as much here. I know you all think I preach all the time, but I really don't go to stuff unless it just happens to be there. But let me explain something to you. Both means together and at the same time.

[26:29] We can't send money overseas and feel freed up from reaching Alpharetta. It's to be both in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the uttermost.

[26:43] And we as a church are responsible for our Jerusalem, for this area where we live. We're also responsible for this country where we live. We're responsible for these countries that are next to our country.

[26:54] We're responsible for these countries on the other side of the globe. He said, you shall be witnesses unto me. But it's after the Holy Ghost has come on you. We'll get back to it in a second.

[27:06] But look in verse 9. He was, while they were looking in verse 9, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. And in verse 11, if you have your Bible there, the angels looked at him and said, what y'all doing standing here looking?

[27:24] Did I just tell you what to do? You saw him die? You saw him buried? You saw him rise again? You saw him spend 40 days giving you last minute instructions?

[27:34] You just saw him get on a cloud and step out of here? Get with it. Look at verse 11. Why stand ye here gazing up into heaven?

[27:46] Last part of the verse says, he shall so come in like manner as you've seen him go. Did you know just like they saw him go? He went physically. He's coming back physically. He's going to come back to that same mountain.

[27:58] When his feet touch, it's going to split in half. Valley's going to be formed there. He is coming back. Go back with me to Luke chapter 24 and verse 49 if you would. Luke chapter 24 and verse 49.

[28:10] He promised to make them capable of carrying out the Great Commission. Can you imagine being one of them? They live in a day and time where a seven mile trip takes a while.

[28:24] I mean, it takes a while to go seven miles. I mean, you know, what do you want? Two, three miles an hour. Take three hours. Hey, time to get to my house. You're going to need about five hours just to get there.

[28:35] I mean, I live like 12 miles away from here. I make it. My wife makes it in four minutes. It takes me about 15, but if you've been on that road and Betty's ever come around, you know she can make it quick.

[28:46] Amen. She's going to confess her sin in a minute. If you don't believe me, ask Yvonne and Shannon and Dan. Shannon drives pretty fast. Yvonne drives pretty fast.

[28:57] Dan doesn't. That's what my wife tells me this, Dan. My wife tells me this. Them two ladies are going to hang me at church. Three ladies. Look at Luke 24, 49.

[29:08] He said, he said, I want y'all to take the gospel, but don't worry. I send the promise. You need to underline that. I send the promise. They had to be like, you want us to go to the uttermost?

[29:21] You want us to go to all nations? He said, oh, I send the promise of my father upon you. Y'all stay here in Jerusalem until you're imbued with power from on high.

[29:32] And you know what's going to happen? And these backwards fishermen, these intimidated tax collectors, because they knew they were the offscouring of the earth.

[29:44] They're going to step out. And on one day, they're going to preach. And something miraculous is going to happen as a sign of what's coming on in the future. And 3,000 people are going to get saved.

[29:56] And lives are going to be changed. They're going to be added to the church. By the way, these people didn't pray a prayer and never show up. They got added to the church. They were real saved. Not prayer saved.

[30:06] Go with me to Luke chapter 24 and verse 50, if you would. And Jesus was carried in the glory, the presence of God. He was carried.

[30:17] I like that. And he led them out as far as Beth. Then he lift up his hands and he blessed them. And he blessed them. And as he was blessing them, he parted and was carried into heaven. He blessed them with the wounded hands he raised.

[30:31] I just want you to imagine that. They saw him. They knew. This is him. Can I just give you a few things? I don't have time for all of them. But listen to this. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3.

[30:43] He blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ. In Christ. You already have all the blessings of spiritual blessings and heavenly places.

[30:54] Ephesians 1, 4. It says that we were chosen him and made to live holy and without blame and love. In chapter 1 and verse 5.

[31:05] We were predestined to the adoption of children. You know what? He's got a whole big program planned one day when he's going to say, Austin, you've been living down there in the world.

[31:15] And all you vision people, you've been living down in the world. You've been enjoying some of the benefits of knowing me. But today you get it all. I brought you home. We're going to have a big adoption ceremony celebration for you.

[31:27] Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 6. He made us accepted in the beloved. You ever wondered if you fit in? You ever wondered if you belonged? You ever wondered if people really liked you?

[31:38] Well, take a hint. In Jesus in heaven, you are accepted. You know, they tell all that stuff on the internet. You'll see it on Facebook. You know, you're going to get to heaven. They're going to ask you questions. They ain't asking me nothing.

[31:48] I'm already accepted. I'm going to walk in. I've got a seat already prepared. I'm seated in the heavenlies already. My name tag's already on my seat. That's Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 6.

[31:59] He raised us up together and he made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Because he wants to show the exceeding riches of his grace. I want to show you how he ascended.

[32:11] I mean, we don't know a lot. It's amazing how the Holy Spirit just kind of passes over it. I mean, he spends all that time on him dying because we needed to realize that.

[32:22] And there's not a lot about what he's dead for three days. Not a lot about that. And then he rises and we got about three or four, probably two chapters if we had it all together really.

[32:33] Good long. Not much. Not much. But on that ascending part, not much. But the craziest thing happened. Can I remind you? He's doing some really weird and crazy things.

[32:45] He's walking down the road with two guys on the road to Emmaus. He sits down to eat with them and they realize who he is and he goes, boom, and he's gone. I ain't figured that out yet.

[32:56] I mean, Star Trek doesn't even know about that one. The rest of it, they got to walk all the way back home. Somebody told me that in the office. Did you ever think about it? They had to walk seven miles back and Jesus was like, boom, I'm out of here. Somebody told me that in the office.

[33:08] I didn't come up with that one. And then he showed up with the disciples. And now he's talking to them and walking out. Hey, guys, I want to bless you. I got big stuff for y'all. Man, I've done great things for you. You have no idea who I am and what I've done.

[33:22] Boom, he's gone. Look, if you would, Acts chapter 1 and verse 9 and underline it. He was taken up and received out of their sight.

[33:33] In 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 22, he's gone into heaven. He's gone into heaven. He's on the right hand of God. And all the powers, all the authorities, all the demons, everybody else had been made to obey him, subject unto him.

[33:49] In Mark chapter 16 and verse 19, he was received up into heaven. And he sat down on the right hand of the Father, the right hand of God. And Luke chapter 9 and verse 51, it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up.

[34:05] So funny. He's not dead yet. But the Holy Spirit said, it's time for him to come home. Go on to Jerusalem. Die and be buried.

[34:16] You're coming home. That's pretty sweet. He's coming home. What happened in the ascension? Jesus, God in human flesh, returned to heaven. They saw him go up.

[34:28] A real person left a real place to go to a real place. Jesus went to heaven to appear before God for us. Jesus finished the work that he had come to do.

[34:39] What's that mean to us? We are citizens of that place. Heaven. We're already seated and welcomed there. You are already, if you're born again, you're already seated there.

[34:53] He said, no, I'm here. Yeah, he knows how to put you there too. You're already there. Already there. And he has really gone to prepare us a place. What's it mean to us?

[35:05] It meant I'm going to do something for you that needs me, I need to be gone for. I'm going to send you the comforter. John's one of the sweetest things in all the Bible.

[35:15] Had we had been alive today, or Jesus had been alive today, and he hadn't ascended into heaven, we'd be limited. He might be in Jerusalem, or he could be in Atlanta, and he wouldn't be in Birmingham.

[35:31] But he said, John 16, 7, it's best for you that I go. Look at it. It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not come.

[35:43] But if I depart, I'll send him to you. And Jesus sent the Holy Spirit of God. Do you want to hear a wild one? He's here right now.

[35:58] You want to hear a wild one? In just a minute, you're going to pack up in your car, and you're going to go home. And he's going with you. You want to hear a wild one? Tomorrow morning, you're going to get up and go to work.

[36:09] And you're at the temple, and he's going with you. It was expedient that he ascend to heaven and send us the sweet Holy Spirit of God. And we know that God has accepted Christ's payment for our sin.

[36:22] Well, it's all right. It's all right. He died and was buried and rose again. It doesn't even stop there. He didn't just wander on this earth. He went home.

[36:33] He went home. And you know what that caused? Luke chapter 24 and verse 52. That caused great joy. And they worshiped him. They finally understood the scriptures and who they were talking about.

[36:47] They knew about his kingdom now. They had a wonderful purpose and cause for their life. They're going to change history in the next 30 or 40 years.

[36:58] The whole world is going to end up dividing time in the way we count it. By the arrival of Jesus Christ, they wouldn't have paid attention to that. But some guys got some power and a purpose and took the gospel to the world.

[37:12] And it caused, in verse 52, great joy. Jesus had won over death and sin. Satan lost just like God promised.

[37:23] God was going to empower them to do great things as they shared who he was and what he'd done. We don't have time for it, but God gave spiritual gifts to his people. The fact that you are able to do the things you're able to do is not you.

[37:38] A whole other part of the scripture. The Holy Spirit gave you the ability to teach others and share even the way you love others. Did you know that some of you were just the sweetest, lovingest, of us were gruff and rough.

[37:51] But some of you just got that gift of mercy. He gave you that. He made you sweet. He made you loving. He dumped gifts on us so we could be used of him. And they continued in the Lord's house at the temple.

[38:05] They were praising and blessing God. The story starts, circles complete, great joy.

[38:16] It ends with great joy. We have a responsibility to take that message to the world. Everybody ought to be able to praise God about that. I think most of us had a pretty good day today.

[38:28] We've seen people get saved in our ministry across the country. We've had the Bible preached in Spanish and in children's ministry in here. We had an event. God's done some great things. But it's not happening in China.

[38:40] Not much. A little bit maybe. It's not happening much in India or Indonesia or Thailand or Cambodia or Vietnam or Africa or Europe.

[38:53] I want the world to be able to praise him. We should take the message to the world and continue the great praise. Here's how it ends.

[39:04] Well, it's all true. That's how they end the book of Luke, basically. It's all true. Jesus is God. He has overcome. His victory is complete.

[39:14] He's back with the Father where he came from. Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. Father in heaven, I love you. I thank you so much for your sweet word.

[39:26] God, I just pray that you would do something very special amongst us. Thank you for letting us be a part of taking your gospel to the world.

[39:37] Thank you for people that are willing to give and go. And thank you for a sweet, wonderful word that you gave us. We get to hold your Bible and read it and meditate on it and think about it and teach it and preach it.

[39:51] God, help us to live it and to share it and for it to be real. God, there might be somebody here tonight that's not saved, not going to go to heaven when they die. And all this great news isn't good news for them yet because it's good news if they'll accept it.

[40:05] But if they reject it, it's horrible news. God, please do a work in their life and save somebody tonight. If you believe in him tonight, the love of God is there.

[40:18] If you reject him, the wrath of God abides on you. John 3, 36. God loves you. Jesus died for you. He paid your sin debt.

[40:29] Paid your sin debt so you could go to heaven when you die. He's done everything possible to make you know how to go to heaven when you die. If you don't know that tonight, I challenge you to trust Christ as your Savior.

[40:41] I challenge you to admit you need him and trust him right now. And as a Christian, I ask you to say, what are you doing to get the gospel around the world?

[40:52]  Father God, do a work now. Bless your name. Bless this chance to be with your people. Do a great work. And I'll give you praise.