SPEAKER_05: 0:07

Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Rooted and Grounded Podcast. As always, got Wayne Miller to my left, Matt Miller to the right. Hardison behind the scenes, and I'm Matt Brown in the middle.

SPEAKER_00: 0:20

That's right.

SPEAKER_05: 0:20

We're uh glad in the middle. Yes, glad glad to be here today. And so, guys, I I know we normally like to start off with some jokes and keep things pretty lighthearted. Um, and I don't know exactly when this episode will air, but um a couple of days ago we had our fifth Sunday Round Em Up Bring Hem In. And I know y'all tried to have some jokes at the beginning. Wait a minute, tried? I just don't I just don't know that joking is what we need to do to start the episode today.

SPEAKER_01: 0:49

Yeah, we I mean they were worked out real good, but it ended up being the epitome of what a dad joke is. Um and not even good.

SPEAKER_05: 0:59

Maybe like a stepdad joke. For sure, man. I don't want to say they fell flat because I mean they didn't get lifted off the ground to even fall.

SPEAKER_00: 1:10

The first one I thought, uh-oh.

SPEAKER_02: 1:12

We knew we were in trouble.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13

The second one, I mean, I couldn't even talk. I mean, I Wayne was looking at me, I ran out of words.

SPEAKER_02: 1:19

So uh put that date down because that never happened.

SPEAKER_05: 1:24

That is so good. That's so funny. So I guess on behalf of 109 and everyone that was here just uh wanted to pass that complaint along. Yeah, appreciate it. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02: 1:36

I got a text from a fellow and he said, Boy, it was a great night, but y'all's jokes.

SPEAKER_05: 1:44

I guess they were like the horses that needed to be put out to pasture. That's right.

SPEAKER_02: 1:48

Yeah, they have been.

SPEAKER_05: 1:50

All right. So so today we are going to talk about the ascension of Christ. And guys, I'm curious, have you all ever done a lesson specifically on the ascension?

SPEAKER_01: 2:03

Not just, I mean, it's always been connected with something, like, you know, as far as the resurrection, the ascension, and then even probably in the return, you know, like they've all just been kind of connected, but not I've never really done a standalone, just thought about and meditated on the ascension. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 2:26

I have, but I'm sure, you know, as I think back, I called it the ascension of Christ, but you know, I had to connect it with other things, but it was the main drive. But yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 2:39

Well, and and really as I was working on putting the outline together, uh, I was like, I don't think I've ever heard a lesson specific to this. And I was even having a little trouble coming up with the lesson because it is so interconnected to a lot of things that we've been talking about and that we're going to talk about. And so um, if you want to follow along, we'll start off in Acts chapter one today and look and see what Paul or what Luke rather has to say about this key event in the life of Christ. Because really, I think, in a lot of ways, the ascension is the necessary finale for this part of Jesus. Because if there's no ascension, either Jesus dies and he's like Lazarus, where he's just dead again, or he's a 2,000-year-old person. And like the ascension ends up being the logical conclusion, but it's that one that we don't think about often. So in Acts chapter one, beginning in verse six, it says, So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And when he had said these things as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight, and while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. And so, Matt, let's start really with the big picture first. What does the ascension mean? What does this story mean in context really the story of God and the story of Christ?

SPEAKER_01: 4:33

We talked about uh me and Wayne were talking about this, and this statement just I think really nails it, especially for me, and I know Wayne as well. The ascension is not Jesus leaving the story, but moving it forward from earthly ministry to his heavenly ministry and really heavenly reign. And so I think that for me when I think about the ascension, it is it's just cont it's the continuation of God's will being revealed. And no doubt, like it's a big deal, but but there's still more to this story, you know what I'm saying? Like the thing that I'm encouraged by is this He is the name above all names. He is the one that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. There's no doubt about it, but there's still more that is coming through this, but the ascension is just that next step in the in this, like we've paused on this, but as like you said, there's so many things connected to it. But if you pause and just wait, this this move here, it's prophecy being fulfilled. It's you know, there's a lot of things now. He's seated at the right hand. Like, you know, now all of a sudden he's the one who's making intercession for us, and we're praying through his name. Like a lot of things that, you know, now I pray through Jesus and I can come boldly to the throne. And that's because he was received, not only was he the perfect sacrifice, but he's well received by the Father into heaven. And you know, that's his prayer in John 17. I know we'll kind of dance around that, but just in that broad sense, I think, you know, a lot of things start colliding and takes us to the next step in what Christian Christianity is gonna look like because with him ascending to heaven now, all of a sudden, he is, I mean, Hebrews 7, 25, 26, that whole area, I just it's it's very personal to me because he lives to make intercession for us, and that's because he was able to ascend to the right hand of the Father because of what he did. You know, like from it is finished to now let me help you with something.

SPEAKER_04: 7:10

I think when you you say it is finished, I think sometimes in in redemption, salvation, I think sometimes we stop too soon. And as you were thinking about that, I remember here three or four days ago uh coming into the office and I'd stopped uh and there's a fellow in front of me. And we came to a stop sign, and and and I noticed, and I'm saying to myself, I mean, what are we doing stopping back here? I mean, we're still several feet from the road, and you're already stopped, and you're peering right and left and everything else. I'm saying, dude, there could be another car get here before you get out to the road where we're turning. And I'm going, you stop way too soon. And that's exactly what I think sometimes we do with a story of redemption. We we say, okay, Jesus crucified on the cross, shed his blood. All correct. But there's more, and you know, we've been talking a lot, but there's more than that. And then and what we find is after the resurrection, the story continues. That and we stop too soon sometimes, I think, in talking about the story of redemption, because the ascension is a big deal, a big part of our redemption.

SPEAKER_01: 8:18

Right. Yeah, I mean the uh the ascension, it the ascension is is the proof that Jesus' ministry on earth was what it needed to be. Because if he don't, I mean, if he doesn't live the life that he's supposed to live, if and no doubt the resurrection is a proof of that as well. But the ascension, I mean, he leaves this earth and goes back into heaven, and that is his, that is actually what he says in John 17. And I know that that is one of those script that that's one of those stories that we get from uh this idea of being the first fruit. You know what I'm saying? Like that example of Jesus' faithfulness and the way that he lived his life is that example of what is to come for us too. So, you know, that that ascension that gives us, and I know that the next part that we'll talk about, the return, like it that it bleeds into that idea. But I mean, his acceptance into heaven is only gonna happen because of his per perfect performance. You know what I'm saying? Like, is a perfect performance, man. And he completed Standing ovation, man. Standing ovation. And he completed it.

SPEAKER_04: 9:38

Yes, what he was sent to do.

SPEAKER_05: 9:39

Uh-huh. Well, well, and I think the point you brought up right at the very beginning of this was the completion of the earthly myth. That's right. Jesus is still very active. For sure. Uh, but this was the culmination of phase one in a lot of ways. Yeah, right. Um, and so Wayne, as we look at this passage a little closer, verse six and seven, I think kind of present a challenging question. Um, Jesus is uh well, not Jesus, uh yes, Jesus, sorry. Um there they're they're asking We love Jesus. Yes, yes. Trying to figure out who's speaking here. All right. So I love it. The followers are asking, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And so there's this very earthly mindset, and then Jesus' response in verse seven where he says it it's not for you to know. Talk us through these two verses.

SPEAKER_03: 10:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 10:35

Well, you know, when you look at verse six and seven, guys, it's it's interesting because when Jesus talked about the kingdom and the apostles or the disciples, his followers had the kingdom in their mind, it was two different ideas. You know, because as I look at it, and and even if you go back and look at the ministry of Christ, when he had the apostles teaching them over and over and over, even back in John chapter 18, you remember verse 36, Jesus said, Listen, my kingdom is not, is not of this world. He's already channeling them, trying to channel their thinking and their mindset to something different and something greater and far more significant than a political kingdom. So when I read those words, it reminds me of the fact that that here they have the ideal of that earthly, that political kingdom where all of a sudden Christ is going to come and we're going to defeat all the enemies of Israel and we're going to restore it back to like like it was and set up a throne in Jerusalem and et cetera, et cetera. We don't have time to get it all into. So they're thinking one way. Jesus is thinking another. He's spiritual. They seem to be focused on the earthly. And there's something there about in verse 7, it is not time for you to know because they they kept asking him in verse 6. And I find it interesting that when it says they were asking, if you look up that word, guys, it means they were just, what I would say is they just bugging the daylights out of me. Okay? In other words, that word says they kept asking again and again and again. You know, those of us have children and grandchildren. I mean, you maybe you've been at a grocery store and you know, this kid goes, keeps asking mom or grandma or whoever about wanting this piece of candy. And they just keep on and keep on. And there's times where I want to go, I'll buy the candy if you'll just get them quit asking. I mean, you'll go. And I think it's what they were doing. They would just keep on asking him again and again. And it's like, when, Lord, when? Because we want this earthly kingdom. And Jesus said, Listen, guys. And then he points out a couple of things. It's not for you to know. Don't worry about the when. And he answered in verse eight. You'll ask you'll know the how. And you'll see the fulfillment of that, of course, in chapter two. But he says the important thing is not when, it's how it's going to come. And it's going to come with power from on high through the Spirit. The fulfillment of one verse eight is found in chapter two.

SPEAKER_01: 13:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 13:09

And so the real emphasis to me was not that Jesus was trying to um, or the apostles rather, was trying to get an understanding when we're going to have victory again. And Jesus said, Oh, you'll know when you have victory.

SPEAKER_01: 13:22

Well, he, you know, you're talking about this the physical kingdom. And they're not, they their mindset is right in the idea that there is gonna be a kingdom. That's right. And and I think the beauty of Jesus, you know, in John 16, when he says that it's necessary for the spirit to come. It's better that I leave so that the spirit can come. Well, he doesn't leave until he ascends. And so back to this idea, Jesus is shifting and changing, and he's about to open up something that they have no idea about because now it's the church's mission. And and really, you know, I think about them boys. I think about Peter making the good confession. And I I think about when when Jesus says to him, based on that confession, I'm gonna build my church, and the gates of Hades can't can they cannot contain what this is. I'm about to do something that you never thought was gonna happen, especially the way it's gonna happen, to use people like, you know, me and you, people who don't know all the things, and you're gonna be able to be able to touch people's lives as well. But um one thing I wanted to say was this ascension, it unlocks the really that commission or that um that job of a kingdom, which is the kingdom of Christ. And so I think one thing that I have put on here, um Pentecost and and Wayne alluded to this in Acts 2, uh, it followed the ascension and it marked the beginning of the church's mission. And so none of that is gonna take place. And Jesus is trying to tell them, you don't need to like quit trying to figure it out. And I think sometimes, and I get it. I mean, I'm trying to figure out I got like several prayers I'm praying right now that I'm trying to figure out, and it's the same deal. He's like, calm down, follow me, let me lead you. And and he can lead from heaven, you know? It's just I love it.

SPEAKER_05: 15:38

Well, you think about it, with Jesus on earth, everyone was tethered to Jesus. That's right, physically, with the exception of like when he sends out the 70 for that time period, everyone is with Jesus. And as long as he's on this earth, whether it's three years or 30 years, that's going to be the case.

SPEAKER_00: 15:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 15:58

And it's not until he goes that you see the church start in the next chapter, and then you see Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth, and and the Great Commission fulfilled only when Jesus ascends. Yeah. But he ascends with power, he gives power to us through the Holy Spirit when he does that. And so the ascension really becomes this crowning moment, yeah, and this substantial, substantial piece of the story of faith and the church. Because if this doesn't happen, where are we?

SPEAKER_01: 16:38

I mean, he says, uh, you know, just thinking about the talk meditating and and focusing on the ascension. Really, what's happening to me even in this moment, just thinking about him saying to those boys, it is better that I go. It's better. And I'm like, no, I want Jesus here. And it's like, no, it's better that I go. And you said it. Look what happened when he left. It's not like he's out of the game. Like, and that was the beginning of you know what I said when we started. It's not Jesus leaving the story, it's it's Jesus moving to where he needs to be so that we all can be a part of it too. It's like he won. Uh I was looking at John 17, where he says at the very end, Oh righteous father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you sent me, and I have declared to them your name, and will declare it that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them. They don't fully understand, I mean, they don't know exactly what all that means yet, but they're gonna see and they're gonna the utterance, the spirit is gonna start giving them utterance, and they're gonna be like, What is happening? I mean, even when Jesus is getting ready to ascend and he opens their minds and opens their hearts to the scriptures, you know, in Luke 24, it's like he unlocks something that had been missing, and here we are, 2020 vision, and just to see how much the Lord loved and believed in his church is amazing to me. Because I mean, y'all know this, it's better for me to just go ahead and do it than to task somebody else to do it. You know what I'm saying? He's like, I'm gonna go a far distance away from, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm gonna just go go to heaven and we're gonna work this another way, and we're gonna see what you can do. I mean, this is something special uh that Jesus does that doesn't necessarily make sense to them in that time, I think.

SPEAKER_04: 18:53

Yeah, I don't think I think you're exactly right. It was just like right over their heads. And you know, something through all of this that I see too is I can't help but be thinking about how patient Christ must have been. Because you know, he'd been telling them all along and about it's better for me to be apart from you and for me to go and them saying that. And it's just like they just didn't grasp it. But one of the things that's it's encouraging to me is Jesus never rebuked them for their misunderstanding and not getting it. Yeah. He just continued to and you know, sometimes we grow impatient with people trying to grow in their faith and and the journey of their life with Christ. And Jesus just, I I can almost see in, you know, in my own mind, Jesus just shaking his head. Guys, come on. How much how many more times have I got to tell you? Yeah. Or it's like, you know, being a parent. How many times have I told you? Yeah, you know, and it's just like they just they just can't get that that kingdom and that church in their mind because of of what they were anticipating with the the earthly kingdom, you know?

SPEAKER_05: 20:00

All right. So as we um we we've got one more thing I want us to cover, and and really that focuses on verse 11, because there's one other thing with the ascension that is yet to happen, and really this sets us up for the next episode, but that is the fact that Christ is going to return. And so let me read verse 11 for us. Uh, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. So, guys, what is this angel trying to tell the followers of Jesus?

SPEAKER_01: 20:37

Be ready, be looking. I mean, Paul of any of the apostles, and I know they've all touched it in some way, especially in the scriptures, but Paul says Maranatha. I mean, his eyes are fixed. I mean, for all intents and purposes, in 1 Thessalonians 4, he thought Jesus was, he thought he was gonna be alive when Jesus came back. I mean, that's how excited and ready he was, you know, and I'm like, is that the same intensity that you know what like, or do I'm just throwing this one on the table, or do we all as Christians say, we'll live our life all the way to the end and then die, and then we'll go to heaven one day, you know, like or do we literally say Marinatha, Lord, today you can come. I'm good.

SPEAKER_04: 21:30

Yeah. Are we more like that? Are we more like the days of Noah?

SPEAKER_01: 21:35

Right. Exactly. I mean, the the and and I think that kind of back just back a little bit, like when Jesus ascends, he there's a transition that's taken place on purpose. And the transition is from Jesus, his physical appearance to the church being that physical appearance. And that, but the same message is being proclaimed. Live your life the way that you need to live because Jesus is coming back, right? There there is an urgency and it's seizing the moment. And Paul talks about that, you know, like seize the day. Like today is the day. I mean, the Hebrew writer, not tomorrow, but today, you know, don't harden your heart. There, there's this press because you never know. And that was the that was the same thing that them angels told the apostles that day is hey, same way that he left, same way he's coming back. Well, when? We don't know. It could be today.

SPEAKER_04: 22:36

It's almost like a play on words. Started right there, man. A play on words they were sitting there gazing, and I can only imagine. Oh man, I'd be lost in the sky. What? He's gone. Yeah, and I think it's like it's okay now. But that intensity, the way you're gazing now, don't lose that.

SPEAKER_01: 22:52

That's right.

SPEAKER_04: 22:52

Don't lose that. You keep that intensity.

SPEAKER_01: 22:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 22:55

Keep that anticipation because he's coming, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 22:59

Yeah, when you I mean, this kind of reminds me of like a legendary ball coach or a legendary ball player that leaves, you know, and it's like, what are we gonna do? And the the difference in that is sometimes those teams never recover when they lose that player because there's nobody like that player. But this game is different because our guy didn't just leave the game, he stepped it up, and what he did was he put people in the ball game that you would never believe could be a start. You know, it's like what? They'd have never made the TV, never even made they'd have been cut, yes. I mean, Acts 4 is that perfect uneducated fisherman. Like, who are they in here talking this bold to us, man? And know what they're talking about. It was just because it that's why he and you know, I think maybe Jesus is just in heaven on those moments, even for us today, and he's just like you know why he could talk, they could talk it because they'd been with him. They've been with him, that's right. That's the story. Yep, they'd been with him, they've been touched by him, hadn't they? Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_05: 24:17

So certainly a uh like I said earlier, just such a significant part of the story of God. Yeah, um, yes. So while we're at this transition point, let's go ahead and wrap up and think about making it real. And so uh already? Yeah, we're oh man, already at 25 minutes. So wow man, I'm twisting this cord over here. I'm getting fired up, boys.

SPEAKER_01: 24:39

Getting fired up, I got Hardy fired up over there.

SPEAKER_05: 24:43

So uh uh Matt, you want to go first?

SPEAKER_01: 24:48

Okay. I as we've talked about this, I'm I'm kind of circling back to that first thought. Jesus didn't leave the story. And even in that moment when those, you know, disciples, I mean, who wouldn't have been sad? Yeah, who would have not have been, man, he's the Lord is leaving us, and he said to them, I will not leave you as orphans. I am not gonna leave you um, you know, unprotected. And that day in Acts 2, when the Spirit came on them boys, they knew it. They knew that's what he'd said, wasn't it? And it is exactly what he said. So I just for me, listen to Jesus. I mean, why can't I mean he what he says is not only true, it's gonna benefit you.

SPEAKER_06: 25:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 25:47

So, you know, like he ascended for a specific reason, and that was to sit at the right hand of the Father and to make intercession to help us out, to continue to help us out. And so that's that's just kind of where I'm at right now, man. Top that one, Wayne.

SPEAKER_03: 26:08

Okay, I'll top that one. Exalted.

SPEAKER_04: 26:13

Exalted because I think what the ascension does is that it those of us are united with Christ, yeah, then guys just remember the ascension of Jesus assures us of an eternal place and calls us to live in such a way. Because you look at Ephesians 2, 6, Jesus was raised up, seated with God in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus is the promise for us.

SPEAKER_05: 26:41

Amen. And I would say for me, ascension for us is both a present and a future event. So obviously we hope to to meet Christ in heaven on the last day. But Christ is also in the process of ascending us currently, he calls us to be better, to be deeper followers of him, to do more. And you see that through the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_02: 27:05

That's right.

SPEAKER_05: 27:06

Uh at all the apostles and and what they were able to do after Jesus left, and that's the same spirit that we've been given and that we should work on ascending with. Yeah, I love it. Man, that's great. This was a cool voice.

SPEAKER_02: 27:18

That's great. All right.

SPEAKER_05: 27:20

Well, we will do it all again in a couple weeks. We'll hope you will join us again. Take care.