The Present Ministry of Jesus Christ

Transcript

GR 423
11/19/1981
The Present Ministry of Jesus Christ
Selected Verses John 1-21
Gil Rugh

The Book of Acts and chapter 1 in your Bibles. Acts chapter 1 just to remind ourselves of the emphasis we had in our last study. We have concluded our study of the Gospel of John and last time together we looked at the opening verses of the Book of Acts to focus in on the ascension of Jesus Christ. That His death, resurrection, was followed by 40 days of ministry with His disciples. That was noted in verse 3 of Acts chapter 1. For 40 days following His resurrection He ministered personally to the disciples not on a continuous basis but appearing to them on occasion, teaching them out of the Scriptures, unfolding the Old Testament teaching regarding Himself and so on. This time climaxed with His instruction that they were to wait at Jerusalem until they received power from on high. The Spirit of God would be sent to them, to end well them, to empower them for ministry that they might serve Him and represent Him, testify to Him, proclaim Him with a power that would transform lives. The Spirit of God would take the word that they taught, the word that they preached, and use it in the hearts and lives of hearers to draw men and women to Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of that teaching (verses 9 to 11) Jesus was lifted up from their presence. A cloud received Him out of their sight and angels then, two angels in white speak to them in verse 11 and say, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Focusing attention upon the fact that this Christ was coming again, the same Christ in the same way would be returning to earth.

Now I’d like to look in our time together today just at some highlights of the present ministry of Jesus Christ. In verse 11 we are carried to the second coming of Christ. Want to look at some of the details revolving around the second coming of Christ in coming studies with you but I’d like to focus our attention today on the present aspect of the ministry of Christ. There is much that could be emphasized and developed here obviously. Because we in the Church Age are living under the present ministry of Christ. I've just selected a few highlights out of the present aspect of Christ’s ministry. What is He doing now that He has ascended to the Father? What is His ministry that is being carried on in the world today? It's not the same as it was but He still has a direct and very real ministry in the world and particularly in the lives of believers. So the ascension marked a change in His ministry but not the stopping of the ministry. There is not a lapse in time in His ministry between His ascension in Acts chapter 1 and His Second Coming. His ministry is carried on unbroken but in a different way.Or we might say, it’s now in a different phase whereas during His earthly ministry in the gospels He ministered personally in a physical body on earth. Now His physical body is centered in heaven as we’ll see, but as the Son of God. He carries on a ministry on the earth and in the heart and life of each individual believer.

I’ve taken just a few of these and not in any particular order and as I mentioned we won't do it exhaustively by any means. Perhaps one of the key things though that are emphasized, is emphasized repeatedly in Scripture is that Jesus Christ upon His ascension is exalted to the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Look over in the Book of Hebrews chapter 1. This of course all ties to the fact that we have a risen Savior. That the One who was crucified is alive. He was raised from the dead and He continues to live today. In Hebrews chapter 1 in the opening verses God, after He had spoken long ago to the fathers and the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son whom He appointed heir of all things through whom also He made the world and He is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Was seated at the right hand of God the Father. Now being seated at the right hand. That's the place of ultimate honor. It shows that He cares the glory, authority and power of God the Father. He has been elevated to the highest possible position to share the glory of God the Father, to have His authority, His power in all that He does.

Over in chapter 8 of Hebrews. Verse 1. Now the main point in what has been said is this. We have such a high priest who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.

Over in chapter 10:12. Verse 10, for the context. "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all and every high priest stands daily ministering. Every priest stands daily ministering, offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take- away sins. But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time sat down at the right hand of God. Being at the right hand is a demonstration of the authority, the honor, the glory that is His. His being seated at the right hand stresses the fact that the ministry of redemption has been accomplished. The priests in the Old Testament system did not sit down. There were no chairs provided, picturing the fact his ministry was ongoing. Had to be continually sacrificing. Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of God the Father assuming the authority, the glory, the power that belongs to God alone because He had secured a redemption which was final and complete. He offered one sacrifice for sin for all time and then He sat down. Speaks to any issue or question about a continuing sacrifice of Christ. A perpetual sacrifice such as the mass in the Roman Catholic Church speaks of.
There is no perpetual sacrifice. There is no continuing sacrifice because the high priest has sat down. He is no longer sacrificing. He has offered one sacrifice for sins and now is seated, exercising authority and demonstrating glory.

Look back in I Peter. Just after Hebrews. James. I Peter chapter 3. Verse 22. We have the emphasis here on the death of Christ in verse 18. He died for sins, once for all. Then He was made alive in the Spirit. Verse 18, the end of the verse. Verse 21 ends on the note on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then verse 22. Who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. Note that stress. He has gone into the heavens. Into heaven. Into the presence of God and angels and authorities and powers have all been subjected to Him.

Ephesians chapter 4. Colossians chapter 2 both stress that fact. That Christ defeated Satan and his hosts. They were conquered by Him. He has subjected them. He has absolute authority, not only in the realm of humanity but also in the realm of angelic beings as a result of His finished work.

Back up to the Book of Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. And this whole section starts out by telling us to have the mind of Christ. To think like Jesus Christ did, which was one of humility, of willingness to humble Himself and no limit to His humility. He was willing to humble Himself even to the death on a cross.

Verse 8. "Being found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, also, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those who are in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He humbled Himself. He died. He was exalted above everything. Everything must bow and subject itself before Him and before time is over every created thing will have been brought to bow before Jesus Christ and recognize His absolute sovereignty, His absolute Lordship. So you note the stress in the New Testament is on the fact that the death and resurrection of Christ is foundational for the ministry that He carries on today in our lives. That’s why we have an emphases on a risen Savior, a resurrected Savior, a Savior who is alive.

Back in Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. A long sentence here about Paul's praying for the Ephesians and his desire that they might know something of the power of God at work in their lives. The same power that was at work in Jesus Christ in raising Him from the dead.

At the end of verse 19 of chapter 1 we read "These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might." Verse 20—"which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies." There you note the stress again. Christ was seated at the right hand of God in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come also. There is no limit, no confines on the sovereign rule of Jesus Christ. He rules over everything not only in this age, but in the age to come. He is absolute ruler for eternity. Then for us in the church. Verse 22. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Jesus Christ is head over all things, over everything and everyone. And, he zeroes in now, in particular He has been given as head over the church which is His body. Now He is demonstrated to be Head over the church that is functioning today. We do not see all things in subjection to Christ at this point in time.

Much of the creation is living in ^rebellion against Jesus Christ but from God's perspective the subjection has already been accomplished even though it hasn't been realized in everyone's experience. Significant portion of creation. Significant part of humanity and the fallen angelic beings continue in rebellion against Jesus Christ. But He is the sovereign Lord who has conquered all. The realization of that Lordship will be brought about at a future time. There is no question about it. You will bow the knee before Jesus Christ. I will bow the knee before Him but this headship, this authority, is seen and recognized and acknowledged within the Church today. The church being those who are His body in verse 22. Head over all things to the church, verse 23, which is His body. So the analogy of the head and the body—the body over which He rules—all those who belong to Him, who are part of Him, who have a personal relationship with Him. Colossians chapter 1
Colossians chapter 1. Don't lose Ephesians. Keep your bulletin in Ephesians or your finger there. We're going to look at a couple of other passages and then come back to Ephesians. Colossians chapter 1:16. "For by Him all things were created both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones dominions, rulers, authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him and He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first born from the dead so that He might come to have first place in everything." He is the One who has preeminence in resurrection. He is the One who has come to be over everything. He is the head of the body, the church. The body, the church are the same thing.

Come back to I Corinthians chapter 12. I Corinthians chapter 12.Verse 12. "For even as the body is one and yet has many members and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ." Picture—the body has many parts but there's only one body. I don't say that I have 35 bodies because I have 35 parts I list, or whatever. There's only one body but many parts. That's the way the body of Christ is. All of us as believers in Christ are part of the body. But there's only one body even though there are a variety of parts.

Verse 13. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many." One of the characteristics of the body is it has many parts. Now everyone in the body of Christ was placed there by the baptizing ministry of the Spirit of God. And the picture here drawn out more fully in passages like Romans chapter 6, is that when a person comes to place their faith in Jesus Christ, His finished work. He is the Son of God who died on a cross to pay the penalty for my sin, was raised from the dead because that penalty had been paid. At that instant of time the Spirit of God identifies me with Jesus Christ so that I am placed into His body. I become His child, cleansed from my sin, under His direct authority as head of the body. One in whom He is now accomplishing His purposes and His will. Come back to Ephesians chapter 2. Paul stresses here because in the early church the conflict was between Jews and Gentiles. And Jews and Gentiles alike needed to understand that there was not a Jewish church and a Gentile church, but there was only one church, one body, all under the leadership and authority of one head, Jesus Christ. So in Ephesians chapter 2:14. "For He Himself is our peace who made both groups into one." Talking about Jews and Gentiles. "Broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances that in Himself He might make the two into one new man thus establishing peace. And might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross by it having put to death the enmity." You note. Reconcile. Jews and Gentiles alike into one body. The basis of that is His cross. There’s only one true church. There’s only one true body. And it is comprised of all those who have come to believe in Jesus Christ as the One who died for them, who was raised from the dead. Because this has to do with what Christ is accomplishing today. This aspect of His work. He is head of the body.

Remember in Matthew chapter 16, along about verse 18 Jesus said I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. He is building His body by drawing men and women, young people to Himself, that they might believe in Him and thus become part of His church.

We have lost something of that identity today where people assume that as long as they belong to a church, that they belong to Jesus Christ. That’s not what He is talking about. He is talking about a spiritual relationship that is founded and based upon His finished work on the cross. A relationship that is personal in that you personally must have that faith in what He has done. I cannot have that for my children. Much as I desire that they come to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. I cannot baptize them, confirm them, put them on the rolls of this church, and thus secure them in the body of Christ. All I can do is present to them the truth of the gospel concerning the finished work of Jesus Christ and pray that the Spirit of God might open the eyes of their understanding that they might understand and believe that He died for them.

Do a great disservice as parents by the emphasis on churches today. Parents have their children baptized, confirmed, join the church, all out of good motives.
The children grow up to be adults assuming that they belong to the church of Jesus Christ, His Body, because they were baptized, because they were confirmed, because they were on this church roll. And fail to recognize that being part of the body of Jesus Christ is a personal matter. And no matter what I do for my children, no matter what I do to my children, unless they personally come to place their faith in Jesus Christ, they are not part of the Body of Christ. It doesn’t matter if I preach in this church for 100 years, they will still not be part of the body of Christ apart from personal faith in His finished work.

Jesus Christ is the Head of this body. He rules over it. It is one body under His authority, under His leadership. Now we don't have time to develop it but that deals with those aspects of division, divisiveness, bickerings and battles in the body. There is only one head. There is only one body. There is only one boss, Jesus Christ. There are not 42 heads. There is only one head. The authority, the directions, the instructions come from the head. As long as every part of my body is taking its instructions from the head, there is no conflict. Conflict comes when one part of my body fails to obey the instructions coming from the head. Then it functions out of conformity to the rest of the body and the whole functioning of the body is affected. Need to recognize that the present ministry of Jesus Christ is to rule over this church. This entire church, universal body, and this local church. This local assembly of believers. Important to understand in the New Testament that the manifestation of the universal body is the local body. We have no other evidences or manifestations of the universal church given in the New Testament but the local church. That is the place where Jesus Christ demonstrates His working, His authority, manifests His character.

Look over in Ephesians chapter 4. Verse 15. "But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head even Christ from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." We are growing to maturity into the head, Jesus Christ.

Verse 13 says we are developing to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. In other words, this body, which belongs to Christ. This local church, His body, is to be developing and growing to maturity, becoming more and more like Him who is the head, like Him who is the ruler of this body. Now the way that is accomplished is Jesus Christ gives gifts to the church, or gifted individuals to the church. And that’s earlier in Ephesians chapter 4:7. "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift." Christ has dispensed gifts. Talk about charismatic gifts. That’s what He is talking about here. Gifts of grace. Not with the emphases that’s often given today. But they are gifts of grace sovereignly bestowed by Jesus Christ upon those who come to believe in Him. Now these gifts are for the purpose of enabling the body to build itself up in love. We read that in verse 16. Though every individual part working properly causes the growth in the body. Now if every individual part is not growing like it should, the body will not develop like it should. If it is not developing like it should, it does not come to the maturity in Christ it should have. Therefore, it does not demonstrate and reflect His glory as it should.

Some of the gifts listed are speaking gifts in verse 11. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers. Those gifts connected to the verbal ministry of the Word of God, given to equip the saints to do the work of serving so the body might be built and developed.

My responsibility as a pastor-teacher is to instruct you in the truth of the
Word of God. That the Spirit might use the Word of God as nourishment in your life to bring you to maturity in Jesus Christ so that each of us in the body as we exercise our own particular gift, under the direction and leadership of Him who is the head. This body as a whole will be brought to maturity in Jesus Christ.

Now you note that necessitates every part of the body functioning under the authority and leadership of the head.

You know we often get disturbed with one another as believers. You say, These believers aren't loving enough. These believers aren't serving enough. These believers aren't doing this and that. Now, who do you mean—these believers? Is that us; You know if this body is not maturing as it should, my first response is to want to get down on you. After all this good preaching, you're still no more mature than you are. What could be wrong? No more loving than you are. What could be wrong with you? Don't serve any more than you do. What could be wrong with you? But, you know what? The body matures as each individual part works properly. You know where I need to start? Looking at me. Am I functioning as I should under the authority of Him who is the head? Are you functioning as you should under the authority of Him who is the head? We become experts in how someone else ought to function and really, I ought to be concerned about functioning under Him who is the head. Lord, direct me as part of Your body to function in the most effective way possible. To enable this body to develop to maturity as it should Each individual part working under Him who is the head. So what is Christ doing today? He is providing gifted individuals to His body that they might develop the body as it should. We don't have time to do a discussion of spiritual gifts here, but you ought to note the Scripture emphasizes.

Key passages on spiritual gifts are Romans 12, I Corinthians 12-14 and here in Ephesians chapter 4. Every single believer has a gift from the Spirit of God. When you come to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Spirit of God comes to indwell you and with His coming you are given a special ability to function in the body because that's when you are placed into the body and Jesus Christ is not just putting globs together. He is building a body so every part that is added to the body has a significant place. Now that means that every single believer has an important part in the proper working of this local body. People sometimes say, Oh, that body is so big. That local church is so big there would be no place for me. What do you mean? The head of the body put a part in that doesn’t fit? No, everybody fits. Now that's exciting to know. Now I often don’t recognize and we use the analogy of a new baby. He’s got all of the parts and none of them seem to be coordinated quite right. Well, that’s often the way it is but you know, with the developing to maturity we expect that baby will learn how to grasp onto things with his hands. Will learn how to move his arms. How does that all work? Pretty soon the parts of his body begin to function more and more under control of the head. So when the head says, Reach out and grab—he reaches out and grabs.
Usually your nose. But something. The parts are becoming more and more into harmony and coordination as maturity comes.

So Jesus Christ is building His body today. Part of the way is giving gifts to believers. Giving gifted believers to the church. Then functioning as head or authority over the church. That these gifts, all of us as individuals might function in a cohesive coordinated way to glorify Him. So in His present ministry today He rules over everything, but particularly over the church.

Another aspect of Christ’s ministry carried on today is His high priestly ministry. The Book of Hebrews develops this in great detail. The intercessory ministry of Christ tied in a particular way. Hebrews chapter 7. In Hebrews chapter 7 we have a stress on the fact that Jesus Christ is a priest permanently. He has an eternal priesthood. In verse 24—He holds His priesthood permanently. Now note verse 25. "Hence also He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them." He acts on our behalf even today. He serves in the presence of God as our representative, making intercession for us. So we are secured of an eternal salvation because of the present ministry of Jesus Christ in heaven.

Look back in Romans chapter 8. Only two passages in the New Testament which directly speak of Christ's intercession on our behalf today. Hebrews chapter 7:25 and Romans chapter 8 and verse 34. Romans chapter 8.Begin reading with verse 33. "Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God who also intercedes for us." You know it's amazing. Here I am in this block of time on this earth and while I am here talking to you Jesus Christ my Savior, my high priest represents me at the right hand of God in glory. That's awesome. I think of that. You look around and see other believers. They have Jesus Christ the Son of God seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven personally representing them to God the Father. That's amazing. He intercedes for me. He represents me. Take it I John 2 speaks to this where if we sin as believers we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous and He is the propitiation or satisfaction for our sins. He is the One who is our representative with the Father. He is there as living testimony that my sin has been paid for. That I am one who has been forgiven and cleansed. That whatever sins I commit today have been cared for by His death and subsequent resurrection.

Tied to this back in I Peter chapter 2. I Peter chapter 2. You're getting a little bit of practice today in jumping around in the New Testament. I Peter chapter 2. Verse 4. "And coming to Him as a living stone rejected by men but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. What Jesus Christ has done as our high priest is to make us priests before God. We are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices. What Christ has done is take our lives and all of our activities as believers and put them in the realm of priestly service offered to God. That transforms all of our activities and all that we do.

I talk about the fact that Jesus Christ is my high priest. Today He represents me at the right hand of God the Father. But I also ought to recognize in connection with this that He has made me a priest before God. One who has the privilege of continual access into the presence of God. Myself personally. That’s why we do not have priests among us. Because every believer is a priest. You do not need to seek my intervention on your behalf in God’s presence. You have just as much right, just as much authority, to go into the presence of God directly as I do or any other child of God does. That’s why Hebrews says, Let us come with boldness, confidence, assurance, to the throne of grace. Not timidly. I'm wondering if He’ll listen. I'm wondering if He'll hear me. I wonder if He’ll be angry if I come.. Come with confidence. Because I am a priest functioning on the basis of the finished work of my high priest,
Jesus Christ.

Now passages like Romans chapter 12, verse 1. "We are exhorted to present our bodies a living sacrifice." Hebrews chapter 13. The end of the Book of Hebrews chapter 13, verse 15. "Through Him, then, [Christ] let us continually offer up sacrifice of praise to God. That is (what is the sacrifice) praise to God. The fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Do not neglect doing good and sharing for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Now that ought to transform the way we live our lives. All I am doing now on earth is in the context of priestly service. That's why I do it as unto the Lord, not unto man. I live my life as a priest offering sacrifice to God. What I say with my mouth. What I do with my hands. What I do with this body is all in the context of sacrifice presented to God. That ought to affect what you do with your life. That has to do with what you do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as Sunday. You know that’s amazing. Remind yourself of the present ministry of Jesus Christ. As our high priest at the right hand of the Father. Guaranteed our security. He saved me for eternity and in His present ministry there guarantees that I will enjoy the presence of God for eternity. It also is a reflection of the fact that I am a priest today in all of my activity. God is concerned that priests offer sacrifices which are acceptable. Is that how you view your life as a believer? Your activities today—did you find yourself grumbling this week about what you were doing? Find yourself coming to God saying, God, here is this sacrifice and I hate to have to do it. It's a bother to offer it and it’s been getting on my nerves anyway. That’s not the kind of sacrifice that is acceptable. I need to be careful. The fruit of my lips what am I talking about? Does that reflect the sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God? We tend to compartmentalize our lives. We look down on the Roman Catholics and say, oh, they don’t understand. They have priests. They don’t understand the priesthood of believers. But I sometimes wonder—do we understand it as believers ourselves? Do we live in light of that truth? With all that we do, all that we are, is to be offered as a sacrifice to God. We compartmentalize our lives as though we lived differently on Tuesday than we did on Sunday. Now I realize I’m just as much a priest on Tuesday as I am on Sunday and the activities of that day are just as much sacrifices offered to God as the activities of this day. So He has made us to be priests to God.

One other emphases I want to note on His present ministry and we touched on this in the Gospel of John. And that is the indwelling ministry of Christ. Look back in John. I’ve just collected several verses from John as foundational. Then a couple of other verses to tie it together.

John chapter 14. We have a strong emphasis on the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s ministry within the believer does get the prime focus in the New Testament. But we ought to realize that the Son of God also indwells the believer. And when Christ says that He will indwell the believer, I take it He means He personally will indwell the believer. He does not mean the Holy Spirit will do that. We end up confusing the person of the Trinity. In John chapter 14:18. "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Verse 20. "In that day you shall know that I am in My Father and you in Me and I in you." Verse 23. "Jesus answered and said to him, ’If anyone loves Me he will keep My word. My Father will love him. We will come to him and make our abode with him." Father, Son and Holy Spirit indwell the believer. Now the focal point is on the ministry of the Spirit indwelling the believer. We ought to recognize Jesus Christ indwells us as well as the Spirit of God.

Chapter 15 of John, verse 4. "Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." And over in John chapter 17:23 in Christ's prayer to the Father. "I in them, you in Me that the world—where they may be perfected in unity that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as you loved Me." Jesus Christ indwells us. Just jot down Colossians chapter 1:26,27 where Paul talks about the mystery that he preached, that mystery being Christ in you the hope of glory. The presence of Christ within us gives us hope of glory. Matthew 28:20 Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the earth." This ties to Philippians chapter 4:13. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He's everything. He has given me hope. He has given me power. He has given me strength. I can do all things because Jesus Christ dwells within me. He provides the power and the enablement for all that is necessary. Sometimes you feel weak. Sometimes you feel inadequate. Need to remind yourself that Jesus Christ is sufficient to enable you to do everything He wants you to do. Now you also have to put that together with I Cori—II Corinthians chapter 12 along about verse 10 where Paul reminds us that God told him that God's strength is perfected in weakness. Now He strengthens me to do all that He wants me to do, to empower me to be all that He wants me to be. No limits on that. So even though there may seem to be weaknesses. There may seem to be problems. That may be the very situations that the indwelling Christ wants to use to accomplish His purposes to bring glory to Himself.

What a privilege you and I have to serve a risen living Savior. He ascended in Acts chapter 1, but His ministry continues on just as real and alive today. He indwells us as believers that He might empower and enable us to carry on the ministry He has given to each one of us. His indwelling presence gives us hope for glory. He functions as our high priest. The very presence of God in heaven. Imagine that. The eternal Son of God personally represents me personally to His Father in glory and has given to each of us as believers a priestly ministry. Transforms what we do with our lives from just activities to priestly service. He is the One who is the head of the church. He rules over this body. He is the One who gives direction, commands, to each part of the body that we might function in unity and harmony to glorify Himself. He is the One who is providing individuals, adding them to the body, so we might have every part that we need to build ourselves up in love. And He is the One who has been exalted to the right hand of the Father. He is Lord of everything. Everything has been subjected to Him. Now the realization of that subjection has not occurred but it will.

And I wonder—are you one who has come to recognize and believe that Jesus Christ died for you? To know what it means to be part of the true church? Not Indian Hills Community Church. Not some other local church or denomination.
But have you come to be part of the body of Jesus Christ? Have you come to recognize and believe you are a sinner for whom Jesus Christ died? Are you trusting Him alone? Not your church. Not your good works. But Jesus Christ alone as your Savior. If not, the glorious truth is you can because part of the ministry that Christ is carrying on today is building His church. He has graciously brought you here that you might hear the message of the gospel— that He died for your sins that you might believe and have life.

Let’s pray together