Pentecost: A New Life

 "not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills

, but the Spirit gives life.”2Cor:3:6

Fifty days after the Lord God brought Israel out of Egypt, God , thru Moses, led Israel to the foot of Mount Sinai, and there on the Feast of First Fruits , which was part of the Holy Days enjoined under the Old Covenant, and what the Church calls Pentecost.

There, at the foot of the Holy Mount shrouded in fire and dark clouds, the Law, the Ten Commandments, which was the very focal point of the Old Covenant, was given, the Ten Commandments, which the Scripture tells us, was the very Covenant between God and Israel

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.” Ex: 34:27-28

Yet,  it was at the giving of the Commandments, the very heart of the Sacred Covenant, came the death of 3000 of the people of Israel.

Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the  camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died” Ex: 32:27-28

This demonstrates what we find in St. Paul referring to the Old Covenant, the Law, as the ministry of death.

“Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone,”2Cor:3:6-7a

None Could Live up to It

 The Law, given from the atop of Sinai as glorious as it was brought only death and condemnation. Regardless as to how hard as anyone struggled to keep it ,no matter how much “will” they attempted to put forth, they would inevitably fail and the Law would claim their lives and brought them only the realization that they, that is we all, were, and are , inadequate and would ultimately demand punishment.

Unable to perform up to the Holy standard that is set in the Law they found themselves under constant condemnation.

This Holy perfect Law would evoke within humanity and empower the very object that it so starkly defines and exposes. Sin!

The Apostle St. Paul address this very paradox in his letter to the Christian Church at Corinth 2000 years ago, but St. Paul also speaks to all believers in every age who have found themselves sincerely trying to keep the Law of God yet failing miserably and coming under nagging condemnation. What is more, the harder these believers try,  so much stronger the grip of sin becomes and they, and we, succumb to it again and again.

There appears to them that the more effort they expend the greater the power sin is exerted over their lives.

St. Paul wrote of this Law-sin relationship to the Corinth Christians.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”1Cor:15:56

The Law its self is the strength of sin, that is why when we struggle against sin the Law itself in complete Holy perfection demonstrates our complete imperfectness to live up to the Holy standard which gives sin the power to defeat us and we fail.

But our loving God who is merciful and has through his very Son Jesus Christ provided the means for each and all who will but freely receive it to be victorious over that which would claim our lives.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ". (57)

God in his grace had planned and provided a greater way, a more glorious way through his Holy Son Jesus. Jesus has done what no Law could ever do, Jesus has brought us life and union with him.

The Day of Pentecost inaugurated and now commemorates of that new way in the lives of humanity, for any who will freely receive what Jesus has accomplished for each and all.

This new way which brings life and freedom and healing of the very soul of humanity to any who will enter into participation with this a new way , a way which is so far above the old .

“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily  at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”2Cor:3:1-18

The new way and Covenant in, and thru Jesus Christ, is far more glorious in the Spirit; for as St. Paul wrote of the very Spirit and essence of that new way –" the Lord is that Spirit”, that is , Jesus is the focal point and foundation of the new way of living.

That is, the Holy Spirit is Christ with us, and the evidence of Christ presence with the Apostolic Church was made manifest on that day of Pentecost 2000 years ago there is the streets of Jerusalem.

Christ With Us

Jesus spoke of his coming to them after his death and resurrection through the agency of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity , to be with believers conveying the very presences of Jesus in our lives  to be their “Comforter”, expressing Jesus’ being with them and assuring us of the love of the Father to and for them.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—he Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Jhn:14:15-21

In the Sending of the “Comforter” , in the Greek the “Paraklatouios”, Jesus Himself is “come”, that is, Jesus is manifested in the lives of those who come to believe in him.

Pentecost commemorates, the present assurance of Jesus Christ with us.

The Holy Spirit manifested among the believers, there 2000 years ago and continues to do so throughout history which is Jesus himself among us, that we are joined in union with the Holy Trinity by and in Jesus.

This is what God has intended from eternity past, that he and we should be joined together in union and living the Spiritual life in relationship.

On Pentecost in the streets of Jerusalem 3000 were saved, that is they entered the accomplished salvation which Christ has provided, and Jesus’ was there among and in them. 

On that Pentecost , the Apostolic Church was rejoicing in the Spirit, not celebrating the Law given centuries earlier at Sinai with its' the focus on the Law of Commandments.

In the Spirit not Under the Law

Pentecost is the entering into experiencing this new life in Christ, being a part of what God has accomplished in his Son Jesus – it is a release from the oppression of the performance-based religiosity of the Law to the glorious liberty of the grace-based life empowered by the Holy Spirit.

It is the life of freedom, the new life in the Spirit, it is the life of knowing that our Lord and Savior is with us and that we have a new life now and into Eternity

Benediction: May we each and all rejoice in the new life of the Spirit, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

"If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Pentecost: Brought Together in Jesus

 

Pentecost- or Sha·vu·oth- in Hebrew= Feast of First Fruits

Pentecost has been seen as an Inarguable event that starts a “season” called- “Whitsuntide”.

We can read of humanities' attempt to have a form of forced unity and the results of this human inspired effort in Gen:11:1-9. This leads us to understand that there is a difference between unity and conformity.

After the great flood humanity came together in pride and arrogance in a humanly devised attempt to  “reach heaven” . This attempt ended in God confounding the languages of men so that their attempt failed.

 The nations were brought together as one for their own purposes. All speaking the same language yet, after the intervention of the great God , now humanities speaks in each in their own language , and all in regard to their own agenda, and there has been strife and separation among the nation of the world from that day until our present time.

Acts: 2:1

Often we view the events surrounding Pentecost, as if Pentecost has a kind of separation from those events just 50 days prior, that is , the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. But , when we view Pentecost in this way, we can develop the idea that the Church emerges after the other great occurrence in Jesus’ life and see the Church as being somehow distinct from the events in Jesus' life and death and resurrection.

That is, we see Pentecost as an in “event” which inaugurates the Church. But we can better understand it when we see Pentecost not as a delayed reaction to all those thing surrounding Jesus, but as an immediate result of those things, that is, all Pentecost did was demonstrate what was already true , that Jesus lives and is the Son of the living God. Pentecost simply shows us this truth.

Pentecost is, in truth , a summery of what has come before , especially the Death and Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. Pentecost reflects that the Holy Spirit has, and is at work, not that he has just begins to work , albeit in a new way bringing humanity into a grand participation with the living Jesus affirming that the great God through the incarnation has united us to himself all through Jesus, the eternal Son of God the second person of the Holy Trinity.

Whereas humanity, in the post-flood world attempted to reach "unto heaven" resulting in a scattering of the peoples of the Earth . God has , through the incarnation and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost into the lives of people from all nation has brought unity to us in Jesus and the Spirit , showing that Heaven has reached down to us and brought us together in unity.

 The Church then are those, regardless of from what nation they come, who have begun to participate with Jesus having entered into the forgiveness of sin which God has made freely available through his Holy Son Jesus, and now have surrendered to the lead of the Holy Spirit in their lives making them a type of symbolic "first fruit" along with Jesus.

"But each in turn: Christ, the first-fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him." 1Cor:15:23a

"He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created"Jam:1:18

The Ancient Church Compelled

The Ancient Church saw Pentecost as more of a day to recapitulate what is already true , that salvation has come and is available for humanities participation. 

Through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in our lives, what the day of Pentecost in Act :12 does , is to demonstrates what those who have come to believe are to do ; we are to tell the world around us about the living Jesus.

In St. Luke's account , in Acts:2, the 120 Disciples could not be contained to the upper room where they had been assembling, the Holy Spirit compelled them to enter the streets of Jerusalem and proclaim Christ and his Kingdom. 

St. Paul tells us , in his Epistle to Geek Christians at the city of Corinth that the proclamation by the Church of the Gospel message was motivated by the love of God shown toward all humanity thru Jesus and his saving work.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." 2Cor:5:14

The day of Pentecost does not mark the beginning of the Holy Spirit’s work in the History of salvation, but demonstrates that the Holy Spirits has, and is, and will be at work in the world now through the Church that is all Christians.

The Church

Pentecost is the day that we note the Church as a body empowered by the Holy Spirit and moves through the world and presents the risen Savior to humanity. This same group of people who hid in fear just a few short weeks prior, now empowered and embolden go forth and tell the world about Jesus, thru their words and actions.

 Pentecost, Not Bable

Pentecost demonstrates that the curse of Bable , in Christ , has been Broken.

At Pentecost God brought many people from many nations all , manifesting different languages , but speaking in “one” voice about Jesus not reaching up to heaven but heaven reaching down to men.

A Hymn of the Post Apostolic Church

“Filled with the Spirit’s power, with one accord

The infant church confessed its risen Lord.

O Holy Spirit, in the church today

No less your power of fellowship display”

For Us

The very same Holy Spirit who empowered the Church and manifested the Resurrected Jesus 2000 years ago and throughout the ages is the same Spirit and same Jesus , which is manifested in the live of the church even at this hour, who is here in our midst and who indwells us through out the ages. Pentecost reminds us of this truth now and forevermore. that in Jesus we are brought together as one.

Benediction: May we each and all ever rejoice this Pentecost that we are brought together in Jesus, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen,

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

"If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

A Summary of Our Christian Faith and Historical Documents of the Christian Church

 

 There is one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God the Father made all things through the Son, sent the Son for our salvation, and gives us the Holy Spirit.

 The Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully human, and is the perfect revelation of the Father and the perfect representative of humanity. He suffered and died on the cross for all human sin, was raised bodily on the third day, and ascended to heaven. Standing in for all humanity before the Father, Jesus Christ provides the perfect human response to God. Since he died for all, all died in him, and all will be made alive in him.

 The Holy Spirit brings sinners to repentance and faith, assures believers of their forgiveness and acceptance as God’s dearly loved children, and works in them to conform them to the image of Jesus Christ.

 The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God that testifies to Jesus Christ. The Bible is fully authoritative for all matters of faith and salvation.

 Salvation comes only by God’s grace and not by works, and it is experienced through faith in Jesus Christ. Christians respond to the joy of salvation when they gather in regular fellowship and live godly lives in Jesus Christ.

 We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come.

 Historical Documents of the Christian Church

 A creed is a brief statement of faith used to enumerate important truths, to clarify doctrinal points, and to distinguish truth from error. Creeds are usually worded to be easily memorized. The word creed comes from the Latin word credo, meaning, “I believe.” The Bible contains a number of creed-like passages. For example, Jews used the Shema, based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9, as a creed. St. Paul wrote simple creed-like statements in 1 Corinthians 8:6; 12:3; and 15:3-4. 1 Timothy 3:16 also appears as a creed, a concise statement of belief.

 As the early church spread, there was a practical need for a statement of faith to help believers focus on the most important doctrines of their Christian faith. 

The Apostles’ Creed is appropriately named not because the original apostles wrote it, but because it accurately reflects the teaching of the apostles. Church fathers Tertullian, Augustine, and other leaders had slightly different versions of the Apostles’ Creed, but the text of Pirminius in A.D. 750 was eventually accepted as the standard form.

 As the church grew, heresies also grew, and the early Christians needed to clarify the defining boundaries of the faith. In the early 300s, before the canon of the New Testament had been finalized, controversy developed over the divinity of Jesus Christ.

At the request of Emperor Constantine, Christian bishops from across the Roman Empire met at the town of Nicea in 325 to discuss the matter. They wrote their consensus in the form of a creed, called the Creed of Nicea. In 381, another major council was held at Constantinople at which the Creed of Nicea was slightly revised to include a few more doctrines. The resulting Creed is called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, or more commonly, the Nicene Creed.

 In the next century, church leaders met in the city of Chalcedon to discuss, among other things, questions about the divine and human natures of Jesus Christ. The result was a Definition of Faith they believed to be true to the gospel, true to apostolic teaching, and true to the Scriptures. This statement is called the Definition of Chalcedon or the Faith of Chalcedon.

 Regrettably, creeds can become formal, complex, abstract, and sometimes equated with Scripture. When properly used, however, they facilitate a concise basis for teaching, safeguard correct biblical doctrine, and create a focus for church fellowship. These three creeds are widely accepted among Christians as consistent with the Bible and as statements of true Christian orthodoxy, or right teaching.

 The Nicene Creed (A.D. 381)

 We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.

 We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one Being with the Father.

 Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

 He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets.

 We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.

 We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 (Translation based on The Book of Common Prayer, 1979)

The Apostles’ Creed (c. A.D. 700)

 I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

 He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

 I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

 (Translation based on I Believe by Alister McGrath, Downer’s Grove, Il.: InterVarsity Press, 1997)

 The Definition of the Union of the Divine and Human Natures in the Person of Jesus Christ (Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 451)

 Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach people to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in humanness, truly God and truly human, consisting also of a  reasonable soul and body; of one substance (homoousios) with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his humanity; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his humanity begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer (Theotokos); one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only–begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the Fathers has handed down to us. Amen.

 (Translation from The Book of Common Prayer, 1979)

  The Athanasian Creed or Quicunque Vult=(Whosoever will) (350-415? AD)

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence.

 For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Spirit.

 The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Spirit unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty.

 

So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Spirit Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the common religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten.

 The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshiped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.

 Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Essence of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Essence of his Mother, born in the world. Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood. Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood by God. One altogether; not by confusion of Essence; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.

 This is the common faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.

 There are some uncertainties as to who put the Athansius' Creed together, however the Theology found in its text reflects Athansius'.

  Benediction:May we each and all, regardless of which Church, ministry, association, tradition or denomination we are bound to ever rejoice in the preservation of these historic documents which keep us grounded in Orthodox Christian beliefs and which speak to us of  all that our Lord Jesus has accomplished for us as set forth in the Holy Scriptures, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If It's Not About Jesus, It's Not About Anything"

Jesus Ascended

 "While He was blessing them, He parted from them and ascended into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God."  Lk: 24:51-53

After the Resurrection Jesus spent time with his Disciples speaking to them about the Kingdom of God and how as followers of Jesus, they, and all believers should live.

Jesus, in many ways, demonstrates to them that it is he himself. They know that he lives and there is no doubt in their minds that this is true.

The Son of God

The disciples come to understand, through the reality of the resurrection that Jesus is the Son of God, and that Jesus is worthy of all reverence and worship, that is, Jesus is ascended in their minds, he is lifted up.

"and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord," Rm:1:4

The Resurrection has confirmed Jesus' divinity, that he is fully God even as he is fully human. The Resurrection has also confirmed the power of the cross, for without the Resurrection the cross would have no meaning.

Jesus Ascends

They have come to see Jesus as no mere "Earth-bound" personality, that is, “just a man ", rather they have come to see who Jesus is; the Son of God. Jesus has not just bodily changed locations, that is from Earth to Heaven, rather Jesus has ascended in their hearts and minds.

Jesus is lifted up, that is "exulted" in their view and understanding of who Jesus is he has drawn them to himself and they worship him.

"And I, when I am lifted up (Exulted) from the earth, will draw all people to myself." Jhn: 12:32

Through  Jesus' saving work for each and all humanity, Jesus is exulted, he has drawn all humanity to himself, which means, Jesus has accomplished all of our salvation, which none of us could have done. Salvation is freely offered if we will but freely recive it through faith in Christ and by grace alone.

 At The Throne of God

Jesus is ascended and we now see him there at the throne of God as our Great High Priest on our behalf.

But with, and through Jesus, our Lord has ascended "humanity", all of us, within himself in his glorified Resurrected state, this means, in Jesus we now are raised up and ascended along with Jesus.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph: 2:4-10

The Great God, through the glorified humanity of his Son Jesus Christ, views each of us to be with him and present in Jesus' glorified person.

This was made possible by the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity taking on our humanity in the Incarnation.

Understand, Jesus is not the Son of God because He was sent, but rather, Jesus was sent because he is the Son of God.

The Incarnation, that is, Jesus' humanity, God in the flesh, makes the cross and His death and resurrection possible. By being one of us, that is being fully human, Jesus could die for all of us and being fully God, his life is worth more than the sum total of all humanity, this is why Jesus' blood has a greater value than any others and the sum total of all.

The value of the blood is found in the value of the life it sustains; the blood of Jesus sustained the life of God in the flesh therefore is of infinitely greater value than the sum total of All humanty.

When Jesus was resurrected, he did not leave his humanity in the tomb, but rather Jesus' humanity was glorified, and Jesus is, even now, still both fully God and full human. Humanity and deity have been given union in Jesus.

 The Vicarious Humanity of Jesus

It is in Jesus being "one of us" he can be our perfect representative for all who will but freely receive it, so that when God looks upon us, the Father sees Jesus and when he looks upon Jesus the Father sees us. This is partly what the ancient church called "the vicarious humanity of Jesus" that is Jesus, provides us each and all who but freely receive it, with the perfect human response for each and all of us to God and accomplish our salvation, we can enter this salvation by simply receiving it freely.

Jesus is "God with us" through the presences of God the Holy Spirit, who manifested in the lives of the Disciples ten days after Jesus' bodily Ascension on Pentecost, He is "us with God" in his glorified humanity.

This speaks to each and all of us that when Jesus is Ascended in our hearts and minds, that means when we see him for who he is, the Spirit of God then manifest in the lives of believers.

Believers Ascended

Believers are even now with Jesus in the Heavens this is what the Apostle St. Paul was speaking of in Ephesians, that we believers share in Jesus' Son-ship even now, that is Jesus has "drawn all men to himself".

" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; "Eph:1:3-7.

When we enter eternity, it only shows us what is already true for us in Jesus.

Gifts for Us

When Jesus ascended, he bestowed upon us "gifts" through the Holy Spirit that we may use to live out his ministry and life upon the Earth, we, the Church, Christians, do collectively what Jesus did personally.

"Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation with which you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and  Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Why he said, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ":Eph:4:1-13

Preparing A Place

Our Lord is even now working with, in and for us as Jesus oversees our salvation. Jesus is preparing us for eternity and eternity for us. That place is under preparation and will be fully ours when we enter Eternity, but it is ours even now in and with Jesus.

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also"Jhn:14:1-3

Jesus is there as us "not just one of us”, that is humanity thru him, is with God, Jesus is there to being for us everything we need Him to be, we shear in His ascension in His humanity's He is there for each of us if we will freely receive it.

 Being Our Priest

Jesus has passed into the Heavens and is therefore us that we can approach our God in times of our need, Jesus acts on our behalf. Jesus has walked this Earth and understands our life for he has lived it, God has seen our human existence thru our eyes, not just witnessed it from afar or remotely.

Jesus knows what the human condition is our Lord has faced life's challenges Jesus knows what we all go through from first hand experiences. Therefore, we can be assured of divine assistance when we are in need.

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need"Heb:4:14-16

His Ascension is Ours

The Ascension of Jesus into the Heavens is not just about his Ascension alone, Jesus has not left us behind to spiritually "fend for ourselves", but rather in him we have ascended with Jesus and even now.

Jesus' Ascension guarantees, that ultimately our place in eternity is there, of which he is now in preparing for us and in us.

When Jesus is Ascended in our hearts and minds, we worship him and can be fully assured that we will join Him in glory, fully experiencing the Ascension that we have in him, that Jesus is for us.

The Ascension of Jesus not only grants us a future confidence but even now a present confidence here in this life knowing that Jesus is there standing for and with us and being "Us with God" and "God with Us"

We then will worship , for  Jesus has  Ascended  ......Jesus' Ascension is Our Ascension......

Benediction: May we each and all ever look to Jesus who is ascended in our hearts and minds, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If It's Not About Jesus, It's Not About Anything"