Celebrating Ascension Day today! Also the conclusion of our mission project with $1,803 raised for the Heifer Project. Lots on the calendar this week, with choir practice, food pantry, bible study, and book club. Look forward to seeing you soon!
16 May 2021 Ascension Sunday Message; Are You in Ascent with the Lord?
Call to Worship; Psalm 47
1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
Invitation, Praises, and Prayer Concerns: Father in Heaven, and universe beyond. Lord today we humbly come to you to express our deep thanks for all the good things that are happening in the world. We see them when we learn to look for you good in the creation. Lord despite all your blessings, we still have fears, worries, and concerns in this walk of ours. Today we pray for your Grace, Mercy, and Hope or Faith, Hope, and Love to fortify our dealings with other people.
Amen!
Message Reading: Luke 24:44-53
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
-The Ascension of Jesus-
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Message: Are You in Ascent with the Lord?
Last week we ended as usual a with a Benediction, and it was from Psalm 24:1-3
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
You!
Of course. When you turn your life over to Him! Not based on you or what we have done, but on who God is, and doing for all His creation. Just as Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 2:4-6 specifically instructs.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
All have an invitation. Yes, all of God’s creation is invited to be in relationship with our Lord and encouraged to be in His family for all time. Hence, today’s message comes in the form of a simple question; Are You in Ascent with the Lord?
Today is ascension Sunday with this last Wednesday being observed in the Christian world as Ascension Day. The day when many of us, the people of God’s family celebrate not only the Lord’s resurrection, but His very ascension to sit at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. And so do we when we are in the Lord.
For today’s message title, I wanted to talk about how all of us have the opportunity to elevate our thoughts, attitudes, and behavior with the Lord. I wanted to try and capture our faith, hope, and expectations as a people in the ultimate of our ascending, rising with our Lord, to live with and in our God.
For message titles, I first thought of using the title to Robert Caro’s second volume of his epic biography of the 36th President, Lyndon Banes Johnson; “Means of Assent”. But that life’s work was all about power, politics, and ascending things of a nonspiritual realm, that I didn’t feel appropriate for an Ascension Sunday Service.
Then, I seriously thought of bogarting (using) ideas from Cardinal John Newman’s important book; “The Grammar of Ascent”. This is Newman’s work on a philosophy of faith that reached out to countless people in the 1870’s and touches countless Roman Catholics today. And has value for all Christians in ascent. But thought it better to address our own faithwalk constraints and opportunities, our congregation’s own particular Faith, Hope, and Love in this moment in time.
With a myriad of thoughts of ascending, and lofty ideas ricocheting back and forth, I began to think about just how consistent God is throughout scripture. This ushers us back to today’s call to Worship, where the Psalmist describes God ascending and our corresponding joy, as we praise, glorify, and magnify His holy and precious name. From Psalm 47;
1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
Beginning with the last statement first;
“for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.”
This is consistent with all of scripture, we belong to God! We continue with that fact from Psalm 24:1 again last week’s Benediction, quoted earlier that.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
Regardless of if we are talking animals, birds, mountains, the stars in the heavens, oceans, streams, people, or kings, this is God’s domain. All of it. And as we begin to understand a little more who our Lord is, we begin to comprehend our world a little more clearly. Perhaps we along with the rivers of creation (mentioned in last week’s message), should team up, then clap and shout for joy as instructed in Scripture’s psalms to God. For the only thing inconsistent in all the creation appears to be you and me.
Thankfully, in the midst of our arrogance, fears, petty confrontations, inconsequential victories of trivial pursuits (what most of us did last week!), and nonsensical battles of form and style, God has remained true and steadfastly consistent. As the Call to Worship reading reflects in versus 4-5.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
God indeed has ascended and ascends in our hearts each time someone new accepts His invitation for eternal life. One can make the point that each time we struggle and succeed at curbing our desires for; ego, self-gain, revenge, being right (you name the topic), and overcoming our fears, we get to ascend with our Lord. To be a part of something bigger than ourselves in the family of God.
On a personal note, it seems like when we open ourselves up to God and other people, we get to be a part of that ascension of the Lord in a personal way. Our soles open doors closed off to those who voluntarily close their minds to what the Lord can do, and is doing right now.
And indeed again, it is Jacob, better named Israel (one who struggles with God and our own nickname in life), yes Jacob/Israel’s family who we are adopted into when we invite the Lord into our hearts. What’s amazing to me is this is a family with all kinds of challenges, and all kinds of disfunctions.
A Rabi I enjoy reading and listening to, also a man with incredible intellect Denis Prager, who’s commentary of Genesis and Exodus is superb, mentions that the Bible is a story about a dysfunctional family. He is spot on, and I would assert are a people beloved by God. You are a part of that family of God in ascent in spite of itself. A people ascending in spite of our struggles with all the junk I mentioned earlier, and that is the Good news of our Lord.
Thankfully, it is our Lord that decides who is sincere, repentant, and really following Him in faith, because He knows your heart. As Matthew 7:1-2 teaches.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
So, we get to turn all of the judgements of ascension, who’s saved, who’s not, who pleases God and who the Lord displeased with, over to Him. Thankfully, we get to take the day off from judging and place our trust in a God who loves and wants the best for us.
A God who has all the mechanics of the universe figured out (since he built it and sustains it), and a timeline that we the creation can comprehend running the span of our Bible. Beginning with Genesis the Old Testament points to a Messiah that would redeem you and me.
Bringing us to today’s Message Reading from Luke addressing the Ascension of our Lord. With some final instruction and a promise of the oncoming Holy Spirit, who is our comforter in troubled time, our partner in times of rejoicing, and our guidon when we seek direction. (But that is next week’s focus on Pentecost Sunday!)
The Lord had physically left the disciples once before at His Crucifixion, returned resurrected. And it is important to note, we are never alone from God. If we honestly and sincerely look we will find, search, and discover, knock and the door to understanding begins to open.
It’s as if God were taking us through His plan one step at a time to instruct us, and now the Lord prepared the disciples for yet another transition to take place. Our God who is Spirit, sustains us in spirit, with His Holy Spirit, who we call to when we study God’s scripture for discernment and guidance. Again, today’s Reading from Luke 24:44-53:
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
**Side note; theLaw of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, is the breakdown of our Old Testament, also known in Hebrew as:
- Torah – The Law of Moses
- Nevi’im – Prophets
- Ketuvim – Psalm, and writings
This is important to understand if we want to see God’s consistency at work through scripture and at work with our ancestors in God.
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
-The Ascension of Jesus-
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
When He had led them to the vicinity of the place called “House of Welcome”, that is what Bethany means in Aramaic/Hebrew, He blessed them. What is so inspiring is that God is literally welcoming us to ascend with the Lord at Bethany.
God wants you to be a part of His family that last; through eternity, for eternity, in blessed eternity, because that’s the realm our God reaches out in invitation to you from. And if you are thinking that the life you have lived denies you from entry. You are right. The same goes for all of us. We are not saved because of our good deeds and works (thanks be on high!), we are saved by the grace of a God who loves you in spite of you. Returning back to Paul’s instruction in his letter to the Ephesians, this time Ephesians 2:1-10;
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
That is what Ascension Sunday is all about. It’s about our reflecting on our Lord, who raised Himself up from the dead, blesses us, redeems us, and ascends us with Him to the glories of Heaven. Transcending space, thought, and time, we get to be witnesses of His praise, glorification, and magnification of His eternal splendor.
Amen!
Benediction; Psalm 24:1-3 and Numbers 6:24-26
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
You!
And now Numbers 6:24-26;
24 “‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’