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Life in the Bible Club
Maple Woods College

Bible Study Outlines

April 18, 2007

The Mystery of Christ in His Process and Work - Ascension, Part 2

  1. Introduction
    1. Last week we saw that Christ in His ascension went to the throne with a resurrected body. Now there is a Man in the glory! We also saw in the resurrection chapter (1 Corinthians 15) that Christ changed in form somewhat to become the life-giving Spirit. Thus Christ, on the night of his resurrection breathed into His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." This fact gave the disciples the inner supply of the resurrection life to pray for 10 days after Christ ascended to the heavens for the promised outpouring of the second outward aspect of the Spirit of power that would allow the church's work to begin. Even today we can hardly pray for 10 minutes without the strengthening with power through His Spirit into our inner man.
    2. There was still a need for the church to be empowered with the same power and authority that Christ gained by being positioned as a man on the throne. Ascension seats Christ and crowns Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. Today we touch the reality of Christ's kingdom in the heavens by contacting the resurrected One in our human spirit. The church, which is His corporate expression as His Body, participates in His heavenly kingdom by praying for His will to be done "on earth, as it is in heaven." The Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:18-20 reveals this reality by declaring, "Whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens. For where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst."
  2. Crucial verses and footnotes in the New Testament Recovery Version Bible.
    1. Acts 2:361 - Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified.
    2. Acts 1:112-5 - Who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you beheld Him going into heaven.
    3. Ephesians 4:81-2 - Therefore the Scripture says, "Having ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive and gave gifts to men."
  3. Questions
    1. How is the book of Acts related to the book of Luke and what is the difference between the ministry of Christ in each of the books?
    2. What Psalm is related to Ephesians 4:8? Why would this be an important verse when considering the church in the New Testament in relation to what is revealed in the Old Testament?
    3. Does Ephesians 4:8 reveal that we were taken with Him to the heavens when He ascended? Is there another verse in Ephesians that indicates this as well?

 

NOTE: The footnotes referenced in the outlines are from the The Holy Bible, Recovery Version © 2003 Living Stream Ministry. An online Recovery Version may be searched for verses and footnotes at: The Holy Bible, Online Recovery Version. You may also obtain a free Recovery Version New Testament by filling out a request form on the Bibles for America website.