Please turn with me for our scripture reading tonight to Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4, reading the first 13 verses. Ephesians, chapter 4, reading the first 13 verses. Let us hear God's own word. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and patient. Be gentle, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says, when he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men. What does he ascended mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions. He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the full measure of the fullness of Christ. So far, the reading of God's Word. Tonight we celebrate and remember an important event in redemptive history. We remember that the living Jesus in his resurrected body, having spent 40 days after Easter talking to his disciples, was taken visibly up into heaven, where he will reign until he returns in visible glory to make all things new. And so the ascension is an integral part of the fullness of Christ's work. Christ lived the human life to fulfill the law. Christ died our death as a sacrifice for sin. Christ was raised from the dead as the Lord of life. He ascended into heaven to be the King of glory, enthroned in heaven. He sends his Holy Spirit to empower his people. And he will come again in glory to make all things new. That work, in a sense, is all of a piece. It's a whole. And yet we are able to look at aspects of it, as we are going to do tonight, looking particularly at the ascension and its significance, and tonight really looking at just one aspect of the ascension, An aspect highlighted here for us in Ephesians chapter 4 at verse 8, where we are told when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men. And he gave gifts to men. The ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed about his glorification. but it's his glorification very much for us. And as I was looking at the epistle to the Hebrews, well, that too, but not for this sermon, as I was looking to the epistle to the Ephesians, the more I looked at it, the more I was struck that this epistle, especially the first three or four chapters, could really be called the epistle of the ascension. It's an epistle filled with echoes of the significance of the blessing of the ascension for God's people and how Christ, as the ascended Lord, has given gifts to his own. Now, Paul, when he talks about these gifts in verse 8 of chapter 4 of Ephesians, is actually alluding to Psalm 68, because Paul was probably a psalm singer, He alluded to Psalm 68, verse 18, although in a very interesting way, he shifts the quotation and reference. Psalm 68, verse 18 says that when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives and received gifts of men. A conquering king receives gifts from the ones he conquered. And that's the point that Psalm 68, verse 18 is making. But Paul, I think, quite deliberately and intentionally, slightly alters that reference to Psalm 68, verse 18, to make the point that Christ despoiled his enemies in order to bless his people. And so, the evening of the Ascension is a time to reflect on all of the blessings, all of the gifts that Christ ascended to bestow on his people. And if you go back sometime and just read through the book of Ephesians, especially the first four chapters, and underline every time there's a reference to giving, a reference to grace, and perhaps particularly a reference to the riches that we have in Christ, You'll begin to see how much this is an epistle of the ascension and an epistle of the gifts of Christ to his church. Because this is an epistle that wants to say to the people of God, never forget that you are a rich people because of the gifts of your ascended Lord. How rich are you tonight? Are you rich? If someone came up to you on the street and said, are you rich? You're probably all good Americans. Say, no, I'm not rich. I'm just comfortable. Or maybe not even comfortable. But this passage wants to say every person in Christ is rich. Chapter 1, verse 8 says that Christ lavished His grace upon us. Isn't that a wonderful word? Lavished. There's nothing stingy about our Savior. There's nothing frugal about our Savior. There's nothing careful about our Savior. Now, if this were a more serious occasion, I might say that might mean he's not Dutch. He's lavish in bestowing his gifts. Of course, he can be lavish because he's so rich. That's what we want to see in this text. We want to look at the riches of Christ. We want to look at the riches of the Christian. We want to look at the riches of the church. Because Ephesians wants us to see how rich we are. And of course, the original recipients of these letters especially needed that encouragement. They were a small group. They wouldn't have had a church building and padded pews. They wouldn't have had freedom to gather to worship. They may well have gathered in the shadow of the great temple of Artemis and been confronted with the wealth and the riches and the splendor of the pagan worship and begun to wonder, are we really God's chosen people? Are we really God's beloved people? Is it true that He's lavished all these things on it? We can't see it so well. Perhaps you thought about that tonight. How many people wished you a happy Ascension Day today? I pointed out to my sons last night, the Padres aren't playing tonight. It's because they wanted to honor the Ascension of our Lord. Some of you are so cynical. No, the world just goes on its way, doesn't it, today? Hardly anyone is aware that this is an occasion when Christians can turn their minds to the fact that we have a king. That we have an enthroned king in heaven. A king of such wealth that he lavishes his gifts upon his people. He's a king with riches indeed. In chapter 3, verse 8, Paul talks about the unsearchable riches of Christ. In chapter 1, verse 7, he talks about the riches of God's grace. In chapter 2, verse 4, he talks about God who is rich in mercy. In chapter 2, verse 7, he talks about the incomprehensible riches of His grace. See, he doesn't want us to miss this. God is rich in mercy and in grace toward His people. Do you sense that? That's what Paul wants us to believe and to know and to experience. And we can see those riches in the victory of our Christ that's celebrated in this epistle. He's the victorious king who has immeasurable power, we're told. The immeasurable power of God is at work in our Christ. Chapter 1, verse 19. And that's demonstrated for us in the resurrection, where Christ's life overcomes death, Or Christ demonstrates that death cannot hold him? In our world, nothing seems more final than death, does it? And yet, the message of Christ is that the immeasurable power of God was at work in Christ, so that he conquered death for you and for me. And in the ascension, we're told, the immeasurable power of Christ is at work so that He is glorified. So He is enthroned. So He can be called the ruler of the kings of the earth. So He can be known as the head of the church. We as Reformed people have always said, we don't need a head of the church on earth because we have a head of the church in heaven. Christ, the bishop of our souls. He is victorious as our king, conquering all his foes. Over and over again in the epistle to the Hebrews, we are told that he's above all rule and authority and power. All past, present, and future authorities are subject to our Christ. He's the ruler. He's the conqueror of the ruler of the kingdom of the air. He's the empowerer to confront the evil one. He is the one who in his triumphal enthronement on heaven has put all things under his feet. In the ancient world, it was not infrequent for a conquering king to make those he conquered kneel down so that he could put his feet on their backs to demonstrate his triumph. That's part of the image here. Our Christ is triumphant, victorious as king and has become the head of his church. And he's not only the victorious king, but he's also, this epistle tells us, the fulfillment of all that God has ever planned. This is the riches of Christ, his victory and his fulfillment. He's the fulfillment of creation. He's the fulfillment of history. He's the fulfillment of salvation. He's the one who fills all and all, bringing everything that God had ever planned to fulfillment. there's nothing outside of his purpose, his plan, his accomplishment. He's utterly and completely in charge, fulfilling all God's will. That's a rich king. That's a rich king, victorious and completing the work of God. And that's what we celebrate tonight. That's what we need to be conscious of tonight, That we are part of this royal family where all of his blessings, all of his riches, all of his power, all of his victory, all of his completion are for us. And those then point to the riches that are ours as Christians. You see in verse 7 of chapter 4, Paul writes, but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Every one of us who knows Jesus Christ, every one of us who believes, Paul says, there are riches for you individually. Christ has a purpose for you individually. And each of us should have, then, a profound sense of that individual provision of Christ for us. Because he is ensuring victory for us, as his power is at work in us. That's what Paul writes in chapter 3, verse 20. The power of God, through Christ, is at work in us. To what end? Well, so we can decree miracles and each of us drive a Rolls Royce. Well, there are preachers you can find on the television who tell you that, but it's a lie. And the saddest thing about that lie is, they're not communicating the truth about the real riches, the greater riches that are available to us. And the real riches that the power of God is working in those of us who know Jesus Christ is the riches of redemption and forgiveness of sins in His blood, of salvation, of being made alive in Christ, of being sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the glorious inheritance yet to come. That's what Christ has won for us in his victory. That's the victory that he gives to us, his people. So that nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God. Sin will not be able to separate us because we are redeemed and forgiven. Death will not be able to separate us because we've been made alive in Christ. Doubt about the future will not be able to separate us because we've been sealed by the Holy Spirit. Guaranteeing our future. And Paul talks about how, through the power of God, Christ is dwelling in your hearts. Chapter 3, verse 16. That's his power at work in us. Christ is not a distant Savior. He's a present Savior by the power of the Spirit dwelling in our hearts. As Paul writes in his parallel epistle, Colossians 1, verse 27, Christ in you, Christ dwelling in you, the hope of glory. What a wonderful victory he has given to us. And because that victory of Christ becomes our victory, we're able to look at the world and know that we are delivered from the kingdom of the ruler, the prince of the air. We're delivered from that power that works death. We're delivered from that power that works blindness in this world. We're delivered from that power that doesn't care whether people are very religious with a wrong religion or very indifferent to religion as long as they don't find Christ and true religion. We're delivered from that kingdom into the kingdom of the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And because of that victory, Paul can say to the Ephesians and to us near the end of this epistle, so stand firm in Christ. For you don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but you wrestle against spiritual powers, authorities, and dominions. But Christ has defeated them. Christ has won the victory over them. And therefore you can stand. You can resist them. You will not be overcome. That's the riches. The riches that are ours. Riches that say, Paul declares here in Ephesians, that our true home is in the heavenlies already. our true home is in the heavenlies already. Go home and read chapter 2, verse 6. We are citizens of heaven already, he says in Philippians. We have here no continuing city, but we seek a city which is to come, we're told in the book of Hebrews. That's the truth, you see. That's the truth. And how rich that is for us. How glorious that we can share in that victory. And how glorious that we can share in the riches of Christ fulfilling God's will. So Paul can begin this epistle in verse 3 of chapter 1 by saying, in Christ we have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. You see, that's the richness that is ours, is the people of God. And this is why it's so sad when you turn on the TV and you hear preachers saying, oh, you're missing out on some of the blessings. You haven't got them yet, but I can tell you how, especially if you send me money. I can get you more holiness. I can get you more health. I can get you more wealth. I can get you more happiness. I can make you better looking. Well, maybe not that. But you see, there are all these claims that somehow we're missing something. Paul says to Christian people, you're not missing anything of the riches and the fullness of what Christ has accomplished. He's not stingy in his giving of his gifts, but he's lavished his gifts upon us. so that every spiritual blessing is ours. Now. Now. The completion and fulfillment that Christ has worked is ours, so that we are filled up with His blessings. Chapter 3, verse 19, Paul writes to the Christians, writes to us, Know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. If you know the love of God in Jesus Christ, you're filled with all the fullness of God. You're complete in Jesus Christ with his completeness. There is nothing lacking. And again, the sad history of Christianity is a whole series of prophets who've come along and said, Oh, you know, there's a little bit more. There's more tradition that you don't know. Or there's more secret knowledge that you don't know. There's more of the Holy Spirit that you don't know. And Paul is rejecting all such notion. We are filled with the measure of all the fullness of God if we know the love that is in Jesus Christ. That's the riches lavished upon us. That's not to say we can just sit back and say, well, I'm already filled up. Don't need anything more. Amazingly, Paul says, although we have every spiritual blessing, although we're filled with all the fullness of God, we can still be growing. growing to know it all better. That's why we still come to church. To have it reinforced. To be reminded. To celebrate. To grow in faith. You notice how the almost invariable pattern of Paul's teaching in his epistles is to begin by reminding Christians who they are. Reminding Christians what God has done for them in Jesus Christ. Reminding them, as we're seeing tonight, of all these riches that are ours. And then to say, because you have all these things, now live like my people. He never says, live holy lives that you may become my people. No, he says, since you are my people, since I've lavished my gifts on you, Since I have been so rich to you, surely you want to live for me. We're a rich people. And we're part of a rich church. The church of Jesus Christ spread around the world. The church of Jesus Christ that has seen and experienced and knows his victory. And what is that victory that we see in the church? It's a victory that says Jesus Christ has come to create a new man, a new body, a new people that brings Jews and Gentiles together, that has made peace, that has created in the victory of Jesus Christ a new temple, A new dwelling place for the Spirit. A new unity amongst people who know Jesus Christ. That's his victory. It's remarkable. We may be so familiar with it that we're not as struck by it as we ought to be. The first century Jews thought of Gentiles as filthy dogs. But Jesus has taken away that enmity. Through the centuries, Gentiles have hated Jews. But Jesus has taken away that enmity. He's created a new body, his own body, his church. That's his victory in this world. And that's why it's so critical that the church be a place of love and compassion and unity and peace. To demonstrate the victory of our Savior. and he's created that new church so that the church can be part of the conquest of Jesus Christ. Paul writes in chapter 3, verse 10, Through the church, the manifest wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places. Christ is making his riches known through the church. That's the real function of the church. That what we have, we might make known so that others might come to share in it. And that should be the passion of our souls to see more and more people coming to know the riches of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul, in Ephesians chapter 4, remarkably, in thinking about the ascension, that great moment in redemptive history, what he particularly focuses on is that in his ascension, one of the critical gifts that Christ has given to his people is that some should be apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. Paul says the church is about making the riches of Christ's grace known. It's being made known through the church. And there's a special function to the office bearers of the church in that work. It's not the office bearers only who have that work. But it's critical that the office bearers of the church preach, as Paul said of himself, the unsearchable riches. of Christ. That's what we need to be aware of, you see. And so there's something sort of sad when the church becomes primarily scolding or negative or judgmental. There's a place when we need to be scolded and there's a place where we need to be judged that our actions are wrong. There's a time when the church must stand up and say, Things are wrong. But it's intriguing that the focus of the Apostle here is that the church should be preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ. Do you know those? Unsearchable riches? I can stop if you do. You see, in chapter 1, verse 18, Paul wrote his prayer that we might have the eyes The eyes of our hearts enlightened so that we may know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. He wants us to know that. There was a famous moment in the history of the Reformed Church of France in the 16th century where the Reformed fortress at La Rochelle was being attacked by the forces of the Roman Catholic king of France. And a message was sent in to the Reformed defenders ordering them to surrender to the king. And they sent back a two-word response in Latin. Regum habemus. We have a king. we have a king our king rules over all the kings of this world our king is supreme whether we live or die our king has lavished the riches of his grace upon his people and therefore whether the world affirms or denies whether the world recognizes or runs away the gospel calls us to declare we have a king and he has lavished the riches of his grace upon us may each one of us believe that and live that way amen let us pray oh lord again we turn to praise you for our christ for the riches of his generosity for the abundance of his gifts for the life that is ours in him and we know oh Lord that we share in these riches because he for our sake became poor that we in his poverty might know the riches of God and so we think of what our riches cost him in his humiliation and suffering and death but we also rejoice that he is now highly exalted and that you have given him a name above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow to your glory and so fill us with hope in believing for we pray in Jesus name Amen