The Third Heaven Acts 1:1-11 and Hebrews 4:14-16 Calvary Church of Pacific Palisades November 15, 2015 * Sunday Morning Worship Page 1 of 6 I love it when believers share spiritual stories of their personal encounters with God. When God spoke to them, when God revealed Himself to them, when they experienced God s presence in a powerful and unforgettable way. I have some storied like that, and I hope you do to those experiences are unforgettable, and deserved to be shared. In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, Paul shares a personal story. it was one of those fascinating life after death stories. Paul shares it as a third person narrative, but clearly the story he tells is personal, a personal experience (verse 7 of 2 Cor 12). It took place on the 1st missionary journey, Acts 14:19, when an angry crowd stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city of Lystra, supposing him to be dead. Caught a glimpse of heaven. 2 Corinthians 12:2 4 (NIV) 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know God knows. 3 And I know that this man whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. Experience of being Caught up to The Third Heaven, to the place where God dwells. Last week God was not in sheol, hades, Abraham s side (paradise Jesus refers to), until Jesus descended to liberate the righteous dead, who'd been living as disembodied spirits in the place of the dead. He went there to bring the righteous dead out of the place of the dead, to take them UP to THE THIRD HEAVEN, where God dwells. Apostles Creed reminds us of Spiritual Truth, ascended to heaven and is seated at Father s right hand. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, 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, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and 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. Page 2 of 6 We ve been to the Cross CHRIST CRUCIFIED. Then to the TOMB, where Jesus lifeless body lay, the place from which Jesus body rose. Now to the MOUNT OF OlIVES, witness the ascension as we stand with the disciples gazing into heaven. Please turn in your Bibles to Acts 1. Page 882 he ascended into heaven, Doctor Luke, based on eye-witness testimony of those present, tells the story in stunning detail. First of Jesus birth, life, death and resurrection (Gospel of Luke), then of his ascension, coming of Holy Spirit, birth of church, missionary journeys. Acts 1:1 11 (NIV) In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 He said to them: It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. Jesus said to His disciples I am leaving, but the Holy Spirit is coming, and will meet you in Jerusalem And when He does you will receive power, spiritual power. Then Jesus leaves. He ascends, rising up into the could, into The Third Heaven Here is how I envisioning the events unfolding
Page 3 of 6 While Jesus body was in the tomb, Jesus spirit went to Abraham s side to liberate the spirits of the righteous dead from Sheol the place of the Dead, and take them to the Third Heaven, the place where God dwells. Then His spirit went back to the tomb and joined with His resurrection body and he emerged from the tomb victorious. Seen by many, Luke says Jesus presented Himself and gave many convincing proofs. Acts 1, Jesus departs earth, in His physical body, once the God/man, forever the God/man and ascends to Heaven, the place where God dwells, to join with the liberated spirits who are now free to enjoy life in the presence of God. Before His birth, Jesus live there, in The Third Heaven, as a pre-existent spirit with the Father and the Spirit, while His body was in the grave He returned there as a disembodied spirit with a host of liberated captive, and now He returns in His resurrection body. It is a physical body. Jesus will forever have a physical body; albeit, altogether different than the one we have, different than the one he had before his death and burial. His ascension ended period of limitation, when He emptied Himself, willingly accepting the limitations of humanity. His divine Spirit is accompanied by an indestructible, resurrection body. Physical Body the wounds are present. ill. Brennan Manning not medals, but scars. Mount of Olives where the ascension took place. Acts 1:12 (NIV) 12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day s walk from the city. Two angels (sent with a message, and implied instructions), don t just stand here, do something, this story is not finished, Jesus will return just as ascended Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives (view of Temple Mount) He will return on Mount of Olives, (next week). Jesus ascended in His resurrection body He will return in His resurrection body. Jesus ascends and enters the Third Heaven. God s Word tells us what s going on there Significance of ascension Jesus is 1. Exalted Ephesians 1:20 23 (NIV) 20 he (God the Father) raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. His name is above every name power in the name of Jesus, no greater power, sovereign and supreme. Remember Phil 2 7 demotions, then the promised exaltation.
Page 4 of 6 Philippians 2:9 11 (NIV) 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus is in The Third Heaven, where God Dwells. Highly exalted. 2. Our forerunner Hebrews 6:19 20 (NIV) 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus opened the way for us (He is the WAY) to enter into God s very presence. Rips the curtain of separation in two, tears the gates off the prison, liberates us from sin and ushers us into a personal relationship with the father in Heaven. 3. Preparing a place for us John 14:1 3 (NIV) Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Jesus is getting heaven ready for our arrival. Making a place for us, so we can be with the Father and with the Son, in eternal life in heaven. Begin to visualize what is going on in heaven. Jesus described for us what is going on right now, between his ascension and His return. he is seated at the right hand of the Father, Seated picture a throne room. Jesus on the throne, high and exalted. Jesus divine attributes no longer willingly set aside, now fully present. All authority belongs to Jesus. Jesus said Matt 28:18 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Right hand Right hand = place of preeminence and prominence, power and authority. God exercises authority by His right hand. Isa 41:10 I will uphold you with my righteous While the work on the cross is finished, for 2000 years, since ascension, Jesus has been working on our behalf, in heaven. To enter into God s presence, seated, right hand, exercising power of God, interceding on our behalf, defending us against the accusations of our accuser. This is really good news, that Jesus is seated in Heaven, in resurrection body, not idle, but actively using the power of God to do His work and build His church. Jesus present ministry in heaven is directly or indirectly related to His being mediator/ savior and is revealed in seven figures. In these, we see who Jesus is, and what we become
Page 5 of 6 1. Jesus is the Last Adam we are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV84) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Because Jesus is the Last Adam, we can live the new life. Resurrection life. Free to live like Jesus lived. Through the First Adam, sin entered the world and death through sin. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,and in this was death came to all people, because all sinned. Broken and Scrambling. Jesus, the Last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Co 15:45) Puts the broken pieces together and process of restoring to perfection. Makes us a new creation. 2. Jesus is the Head we are the body. Colossians 1:18,24 (NIV) 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy 24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. The church belongs to Jesus, He gives it direction, feeds & nurtures, gives gifts. Miraculous. We get confused, we think we are running the show, when He is the one who directs, protect s and grows us together in grace and knowledge. If left to us, no church would last, every one I ve ever been is exceedingly challenging, messy, Jesus holds it together. 3. Jesus is the Bride-groom we are the bride. Eph 5:25-27 Ephesians 5:25 27 (NIV) 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Preparing us, purifying us, growing us in grace and knowledge getting us (his church) ready for His return. ill. Imagine how a groom feels about his bride would do anything for her. 4. Jesus is the Shepherd we are the sheep. John 10 Leading, caring, protection. We are invited to hear His voice, calls us by name, and follow His lead. ill. I see so many of you who are asking God, what do you want, where do you want me to go, to serve, what do you want me to do. And you are stepping out in faith. Following. 5. Jesus is the Vine we are the branches. John 15 His life in us produces fruit. And when we see the fruit we have assurance that we are connected to the vine. Staying connected to Jesus provides spiritual life and vitality.
Page 6 of 6 ill. I see fruit in YOU. Assume that you must be connected. Characterized by worship, grow, love and serve. Clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 6. Jesus is the Cornerstone (Chief Cornerstone) we are the stones in the building. 1 Peter 2:4,5,7 (NIV) 4 As you come to him, the living Stone rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, Jesus provides SECURITY, firm foundation. We are the blocks that build the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the church. 7. Jesus is the High Priest we are a royal priesthood. Please turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 4:14-16 Page 970 Jesus the Great High Priest 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. * Jesus Empathizes Jesus get s it - He gets us. Jesus knows how we feel, what we struggle with, who we are. And He loves us, brings us into God s presence and because of Jesus, God pours out mercy and grace on us, when we need it most. ill. If you need mercy and grace, bring it to Jesus, He knows. Approach God s throne Confess it to Him, give it to Him, trust Him with it. Hebrews 7:24 25 (NIV) 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. * Jesus Intercedes to intervene on behalf of another, to do something. Jesus is pulling for you right now. Interceding on our behalf. He is our advocate. Courtroom = Accuser is making a case, Jesus defending. defense attorney, the best in the universe. And because Jesus is our High Priest, we need to remember who we are. 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Do you believe? Will you believe? That God is who He says he is. God can do what He says He can do. I am who God says I am. I can do all things through Christ. God s Word is alive and active in me. I Believe in God.