Jesus' Grand Finale

-Jesus is the head of the church. When people tell me what a cool place CCC is--the lives that are being transformed, the marriages that are being rebuilt, the poor and needy who are being cared for, the children and youth who are being spiritually nurtured (on and on the list goes)--I know who gets the credit for all this! The ascended Jesus!! The head of the Church.

And Jesus works in concert with another member of the Trinity to make all this happen in the lives of believers: The Holy Spirit.

-The Bible says that 10 days after Jesus ascended to heaven, he poured out his Spirit on his followers! The Apostle Peter, who was one of the first guys to receive this special gift, rushed out into the streets of Jerusalem and preached a riveting sermon to thousands of people, which included these words (Acts 2:32, 33):

*God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

-You see, because Jesus ascended to heaven, he is now able to pour the Holy Spirit into the lives of his followers. People like you and me. We can have God on the inside! This is even better than when Jesus was physically here on earth.

-That’s not my opinion. That’s what Jesus himself said. When Jesus was getting ready to leave this earth, his disciples were so sad--they were going to lose their best friend. But Jesus told them (John 16:7): I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. Once Jesus ascended to heaven, he sent us the Holy Spirit!

-Why is having the Holy Spirit an even better deal than having Jesus himself around? First, because the Holy Spirit can be everywhere at once--he’s not limited to one location. And, second, because the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Jesus was God with us. The Holy Spirit is God in us.

-The Holy Spirit is an ever-present: counselor, comforter, strengthener, encourager, teacher, you-name-it.

#6 He Is Preparing a Home for Us

TURN: John 14.

-IL: Some of you aren’t old enough to remember this--but in the 1960’s, the Russians were the first to put a man in space. And when their cosmonaut returned to earth, this proud atheist announced: I have been to outer space, and I can tell you from firsthand observation, I did not see God or heaven!

-Well, you can take your cues from that cosmonaut’s report--or you can take your cues from Jesus Christ on this topic. Here’s what Jesus said. READ: John 14:1, 2.

-What’s the ascended Jesus currently doing? Preparing a home for us. And when I say for us, I mean--for those who put their hope and trust in Jesus for salvation. Ignore, him, reject him, spurn him on earth--then you forfeit a home with him in heaven.

Let me add one cool footnote to this point. If Jesus is currently preparing a home for us in heaven--that means that he’s already there to welcome us when we die! The ascended Jesus is our welcoming party! (Come on in--let me show you around!)