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Hendersonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, NC

Brian Hindman

What is Jesus Doing Now

This morning I just want to have a small Bible study in our time together, just looking at what is Jesus doing now and really focus on him.

And so my first question is, is it possible to lose sight of Jesus?

Is it actually possible to lose sight of him?

And we know that some people did this in the Bible, in Luke chapter 2 verse 46, and who were those people?

His parents lost sight of Jesus, and how long did it take to find him?

3 days of looking and searching high and low for Jesus before they found him there in the temple.

And what did Jesus say to them and remark to them when they found him?

Don't you know that I must be about whose business?

And so at the age of 12, he had an understanding by that point that God has a work and a place for him.

And that it was his highest duty to be about the business of His heavenly Father.

And so if Jesus at the age of 12 could understand that, I hope that the rest of us who are older than 35, there's microphones up in the back I can hear, I'm over 35, can also understand that Jesus has a calling on us.

Let's go there and look at the last time that we saw Jesus.

Although the gospels record a lot of Jesus' last words.

It's in the book of Acts that we find the last picture of Jesus when we saw him on earth.

Acts chapter 1, we'll pick it up in verse 6.

Acts chapter 1, beginning in verse 6, and this is the introduction to Acts chapter 1, actually talks about the apostles and disciples were rather gathered together, and then it goes on in verse 6 and says, when they, that is the apostles, therefore were come together, they asked of him, that is with Jesus, here at his last time on earth with them, they were on the Mount of Olives, saying, now this is a, really it's a terrible question for the apostles to ask, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

What does it sound like their focus is and their understanding is of Jesus and his mission?

His mission is to come back and be a great political king and a great political ruler, but they completely missed the emphasis on establishing a spiritual kingdom that would provide for spiritual grace and mercy and benefits to all those that would join and be part of this kingdom.

And then notice how Jesus responds in verse 7.

And he said unto them, it is not for you, and this is in a direct response to their question, are you gonna take David's throne right now?

You've died on the cross, you've been buried, you've resurrected again, are you gonna take the throne of David, which they were hoping for?

But notice what Jesus says, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power.

In other words, it's not for you to know the timing of when I'm going to establish this kingdom, but now he's gonna share with his disciples what is important for them to know.

You don't need to know the timing of the establishment when I'm gonna come back again and fully establish that kingdom, but here's what he says they should know in verse 8.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be what?

And we think of martyrs, of course, someone who gives up their life, is killed for their beliefs, because of their faithfulness in giving a witness, in this case, to Jesus.

But it says, and you will be my witnesses, you will give a message, and then he gives the prescription for where that message will be given.

You will be my witnesses, and then it says, Both in Jerusalem, that is the closest place where they were from, that's home, and in all Judea and Samaria, that's the neighborhood and the area around you, and then you have concentric circles that are just expanding, and it says, and then to where?

So there's really nowhere that's not given a mission or the message that the mission is to go to them in some way or another.

But the place that they were to begin was at home, right where they were living.

It continues on though and shares a few more words here or description of what happened.

It says in verse 9, and when he, Jesus, had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was what?

Taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And if you study carefully clouds in the Bible are usually always associated with clouds of angels, not clouds of precipitation or raindrops, but cloud of angels.

And then it's obvious, I think also because there's some angels that stay back and share here in the next couple of verses some important information verse 10, And while they looked the disciples steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, 2 men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come how?

In like manner, in the same way as you are watching Him physically with your eyes ascending up into heaven and being carried away in a cloud, you will also, it says, this same Jesus in the same manner, you will have also see him come again in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven, which really speaks to the literal, visible return of Jesus.

What is the significance of Jesus' ministry while he was on earth?

What was so significant about his ministry?

1 Timothy 3, verse 16, as we look at a comprehensive Bible verse or statement about the ministry of Jesus.

The Bible says 1 Timothy 3 verse 16, and without controversy or without argument, no argument on this point the Apostle writes, without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.

God speaking of Jesus was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and then received up into glory." and that glorious cloud that received him will also come back in a glorious way when he returns the second time so jesus Accomplished a tremendous work and that work is great Great is the mystery the accomplishment of the godliness of Jesus in coming to this earth and providing for, with his life and his death and his resurrection, the complete salvation of everyone that would come to him.

Well someone might say though, but didn't Jesus say on the cross, it is finished?

John chapter 19 and verse 30 is where we can find those words.

And it's interesting as I have examined this passage, John 19 and verse 30, Jesus is hanging on the cross and these are his last words before his death on the cross, and John records them this way, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished, and the very next thing it says, and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.

Well, what's a little complicated maybe is the word it is finished in Greek is actually just 1 word.

It's 3 words in English, but what that word actually means is it is accomplished or completed.

So the question now is to define what is the it that was accomplished or completed?

What was it that was completed at the cross?

And notice this is a statement from a book called Christ in His Sanctuary.

The author writes, but when the Savior yielded up His life, as we see here in John 19, and with His expiring breath cried out, it is finished, then the fulfillment of the plan of redemption was assured.

The author writes, So what was finished or established is the foundation of the kingdom of grace.

Jesus provided for the provisions for salvation for all humanity, for everyone that was ratified.

The promise in the Garden of Eden was found in Genesis 315 where God says, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel.

And that was the promise that a savior would come and bruise the head of the serpent, which is the devil, and would establish the salvation of humanity.

The first gospel promise in the Bible ever given to the human race is Genesis 3.15.

That promise existed approximately 4, 000 years from the time of the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve until 4, 000 years later, Christ's death on the cross made that ratified and effective, and it became available and accomplished, or finished and completed for everyone.

Well, what is the foundation of the throne of God?

Let's go to Psalm chapter 97 and verse 2.

What is the foundation of the throne of God?

The Bible tells us in very plain language, the foundation of what his throne is based and built up upon.

The foundation of the throne of God sounds important to me.

It would be the foundation of his kingdom that he established, the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory.

The kingdom of grace has been established at the cross.

The kingdom of glory will be established when Jesus comes again a second time.

If you wanna know or see that, in the Bible it's Matthew 25, 31 and 32.

It says when Jesus comes, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory at his second coming and establish that kingdom at that time of which the disciples were looking for in their day.

So what is the foundation of the throne of God?

Psalm 97 verse 2, the Bible says, "'Clouds and darkness are round about him.'" Now notice the last part of the verse.

"'Righteousness and judgment are the, ' what?

"'Habitation or foundation of his throne.'" the foundation on which God's throne is built upon is righteousness and justice Everything connected with God and his kingdom must be in harmony with righteousness and justice and this sinful man does not have to offer.

But we have a savior who can and has offered that.

And then, continuing on though, the work that Jesus is doing now, we're gonna find, is to provide for the benefits of what he has made available to everyone by his sacrifice and intercession as we're gonna see as our high priest.

But before we get to that, how closely is Jesus connected to the human race?

It should be a very interesting question because as we look at the Bible, I don't even have this in my notes, but Isaiah 9 verse 6 says, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is, what is the next word?

How long was Jesus given to the human race?

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What is Jesus Doing Now

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