Thank you, Lord, that we can meet now,
on this Ascension Day, where you ascended into
heaven.
Be with us, bless us through your word.
Amen.
Mark chapter sixteen.
And verse fourteen.
Mark chapter sixteen.
Later he appeared to the eleven as they
sat at the table, and he rebuked the
unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did
not believe those who had seen him after
he had risen.
And he said to them, Go into all
the world and preach the gospel to every
creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be
saved, but he who does not believe will
be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe.
In my name they will cast out demons,
they will speak in new tongues.
They will take up serpents, and if they
drink anything deadly, it will by no means
hurt them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and
they will recover.
So then, after the Lord had spoken to
them, he was received up into heaven and
sat down at the right hand of God.
And they went out and preached everywhere, the
Lord working with them and confirming the word
through the accompanying signs.
We will stop reading there.
It starts here saying, Later he appeared to
the eleven as they sat at the table.
It was now forty days after the resurrection
that he had been with his disciples.
And during
these
forty days after his resurrection, he always again
and again appeared to his disciples.
He was not with them all the time
as he had been before the crucifixion, but
he appeared to them frequently in that time.
And he now was revealing himself to them
with his new body, the glorified body.
And this was now the last time that
he met with them in that way, where
they were all together.
So they were together there, he was speaking
his last words to them.
So this was in a way, one could
say, like him giving and passing on his
last will to them.
Telling them how he wanted them to continue.
And they were there at the Mount of
Olives.
And they were there at the Mount of
Olives.
It was the same place where just a
few days prior to this, they had also
been together, where they had prayed earnestly, where
he was sweating, not just like one perspires
normally, but where his sweat drops were like
drops of blood falling onto the ground.
This was the
time
of greatest anguish for him.
It was so great in fact, where he
said repeatedly, saying, Lord, if it's your will,
please take this cup away from me.
Why was it so terrible for him?
Because he was carrying your and my sins
in that time.
And he had to drink that cup of
God's wrath that should have come upon you,
and not him.
But he humbled himself, he took it upon
himself, descended into the depths of hell for
you and for me.
And now once again he asked them to
meet him there at the Mount of Olives,
that same place on that mountain.
It reminds me of the time when Joseph
got together his children and his wife and
his children and his wife and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and his children and
his children and his children and his children
and his children and his children and his
children and his children and as they were
there to eat, about to eat, there he
was in their midst.
And these were his parting words, these words
of greeting to him just before he ascended
into heaven, to return to that glory, to
that position he had before he came to
earth.
And so he returned to that kingship, that
lordship which he had right from the foundations
of the earth.
So he came to us as a king.
And now he was to ascend into heaven
before their eyes.
Amazing.
You can imagine what that must have been
like.
What celebration must there have been when he
entered into that eternal glory.
For the angels, the hosts of heaven sang
when he came down to earth, but how
much more must they have sung when he
returned back into his position in heaven.
The disciples only saw the two angels that
came down to them and spoke to them
and said, men of Galilee, why do you
stand here staring up into heaven?
For the same Jesus who ascended from you
now will return again one day with the
heavenly hosts.
But just take note again of the place
where all this happened.
It was the same place where he had
suffered, gone through that bitter anguish, where he
had to drink that cup, where he had
to take your and my sins upon himself,
where he had to become sin for us.
It was in that same place where he
had to drink that cup.
There where he had been humiliated, he was
now being uplifted.
Just as God's word says, he who humbles
himself, God will uplift him, but he who
is proud, God will humble.
God's word says if we go through trials
with him and through those tribulations, we will
also rule with him.
Even if people speak badly of us because
of him for his sake, whatever they say,
but he promises that we will rule with
him.
We all want to be great and looked
up to, but before you get there, you
first have to go down and humble yourself.
Like people who are blessed, others look at
them and they even are jealous about the
fact that the others are being blessed.
But if you want that blessing, you first
have to go through that difficulty before you
get the blessing.
There where Jesus suffered in the greatest way
was the most difficult time for him.
It was exactly there where he was uplifted.
They didn't know when he would appear.
They were sitting there at the table eating,
not knowing when he would come, but unexpectedly
he was in their midst.
When he appeared, they forgot about everything else,
even about their food.
They must have sensed this is something important
that he is telling us now.
And when someone is dying, you listen very
attentively to try and catch every last word
that he's trying to say.
You read his lips.
You don't want to miss out on a
word.
Because of time, I'll just touch on three
things.
The first point.
He rebuked them.
And secondly, he instructed them.
And the last point, his promises.
The three main points.
The first thing he did when he was
in their midst, he rebuked them strongly.
It's interesting that when he's there for the
last time, that he should actually rebuke them.
One would think, well, if you're speaking to
people that you love for the last time,
you must speak kindly to them, show them
love.
And it's like parents, who have like a
monkey love for their children.
They just say kind things and good things
to them, even when the children do wrong
things.
They just close an eye.
It's a soft love.
It's a monkey love.
They can't be hard on the children.
They can't chastise the children.
They can't find fault with them.
Oh, just speak nicely.
I don't want the church, the child to
run away, turn his or her back on
me.
You breeding a bunch of fighters.
So Jesus came to them.
This was the last time he was with
them.
The first thing he did, he rebuked them.
He rebuked them, yet he was not cross
with them, and shouting at them, and even
cursing and swearing, and so we must learn
as well, when one speaks to one's children,
one must rebuke them, but not in anger
and saying all the wrong things to them
because one is angry with the child.
But he rebuked them nevertheless in a very
strong way, I don't think that they will
have forgotten this rebuke quickly.
It was because God is love, Jesus himself
is love, and in his love he rebuked
them.
Why did he rebuke them?
Because of their lack of faith, their unbelief.
Why did they not believe?
He said because of their hardness of heart.
Because they did not believe those who had
seen him after he had risen.
I don't know whether there is a worse
sin than that of hardening one's heart, it's
a terrible thing.
If you look at the different sins, murder,
adultery and so many other sins, but I
don't know whether there is a worse sin
than hardening your heart.
And Jesus rebuked them because they did not
believe those that reported to them that he
had risen.
When those women came and spoke to them,
told them that they had seen him, that
he had risen, they didn't believe them.
They said, how
must
we believe it?
We didn't see him, we didn't touch him,
we didn't experience it, we weren't there, why
didn't he come to us?
We can't believe it.
It was difficult for them to accept what
those other women had told them.
But they hadn't just heard it from those
women, for Jesus himself had told them beforehand,
saying that the Son of Man must be
crucified and die, but he will rise again.
He will
rise
again, he will rise again, he will rise
again, he will rise again.
The prophets, the scriptures had told them so
clearly that he would die after three days,
he would rise again.
But they said no, because he didn't come
to me personally, and didn't appear to me,
until I put my finger in his hands
and my hand in his side, I will
not believe beforehand.
And God rebuked them severely, like he will
rebuke you too, and is rebuking you, if
you are one who does not believe.
Then you need to go on your knees
and say oh Lord, Soften this hard heart
of mine, make it soft, that I will
not be hard when you appear and when
you speak to me through your word, or
even when you reveal yourself to others.
Jesus rebuked them.
Soften this hard heart of mine, make it
soft, that I will not be hard when
you speak to me through your word, or
even when you reveal yourself to others.
Soften this hard heart of mine, make it
soft, that I will not be hard when
you speak to me through your word, or
even when you reveal yourself to others.
He rebuked them for they had not believed
what the others had told them, what they
had experienced.
They said no, we want to experience it
first hand, and we won't believe it until
then.
He doesn't need to go to everyone.
Who are you in any way to demand
that Jesus must come to you personally?
He can send someone else to you.
You are cheeky.
If you say no, He must come to
me personally.
He has the right
to send someone
else to you, and you can accept that
as from God, and if you don't want
to accept that, then obviously you are going
to be on your way to hell, but
you deserve to be.
God has the right to use someone else,
to speak through someone else, and you need
to accept that when someone comes to you.
Otherwise you are just bringing a curse upon
yourself when you say no, because you are
so super spiritual now.
You say no, I want God Himself to
reveal Himself to me.
I won't accept it if someone else talks
to me.
And the second point is where He instructed
them to go into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be
saved, but he who does not believe will
be condemned.
He says he who does not believe will
be condemned, because even if you are baptized,
you will still be condemned if you do
not believe.
And when He had rebuked them and dealt
with that hardness of heart, that unbelief in
their hearts, then after that He could say
to them, go now into all the world
and preach to every creature.
This word is not only directed at the
apostles.
It is for all of us here.
This word is just as relevant to us
today as it was to the disciples on
that day.
For we are now His disciples and He
expects from us to carry out the gospel
to every creature.
Yes, we don't have all the same gifts
and all the same talents.
Not everyone is expected to preach, but everyone
is expected to carry out the gospel in
one way or the other.
Maybe you just need to be kind to
somebody, speak friendly words to him, greet him
in a nice way, help someone that is
in need.
There are many ways that we can carry
out the gospel.
Maybe you are not even involved in the
passing on of the gospel.
Perhaps you are deliberately standing in the way
of those who are spreading the gospel.
You are standing in God's way.
You
are
standing
in God's way.
I cannot be everywhere where you are, but
there where you are, you need to carry
out the gospel.
Pass it on with your family, your friends,
your neighbors.
I cannot be there, but you are there.
You need to spread the gospel.
That is God's command to us.
And woe to us if we don't do
it.
Here is now the Lord's will which he
had for his disciples and for us, for
all of us.
Woe to us if we don't carry out
what he has said here in this last
will of his.
He first rebuked them for the hardness of
their faith.
He first
rebuked
them for the hardness of their faith.
You want a special revelation?
You will never get it if you don't
obey this, what you have been told.
And then his instruction, his command, woe to
us, woe to everyone, old or young, who
disregards this last command of the Lord.
And then he says, he who believes will
be saved.
If you accept that which you are told,
you will be saved.
You accept.
You take to heart.
You believe what you are told.
Not like those who say, well, I cannot
accept it.
This is just this person speaking to me.
You have to accept it because that is
God speaking to you.
But many people will end up in hell
because they harden their hearts because they do
not believe.
They cannot accept what they are told.
Go into all
the
world.
That is the command.
But maybe you say, well, I cannot go.
I am too shy.
That is not in my personality.
I cannot do it.
Don't you realize that if a house is
burning down and there is a child inside
who is about to die, wouldn't you run
in and save it?
Now here are his promises.
And these signs will follow those who believe.
In my name they will cast out demons.
They will speak with new tongues.
They will take up serpents.
If they drink anything deadly, it will by
no means hurt them.
They will lay hands on the sick and
they will recover.
There is nothing of what the Lord Jesus
promised here which the disciples did not experience.
These are the signs which follow those who
believe.
If there are no signs that are following
you who believe, it shows that you do
not believe.
In my name they will cast out demons.
Remember that demon-possessed girl who had that
fortune-telling spirit.
When she met with Paul, he drove out
that demon.
She was set free.
These are the signs which follow those who
believe.
And there are people with different demons in
them.
It can be alcohol, it can be anger,
it can be lust.
But when they meet up with those who
believe, these demons and evil spirits have to
leave.
And then
there
are the demons of stubbornness, of hardness of
heart.
That person listens to no one and accepts
nothing.
But when someone comes who believes, can speak
to that person, that person is touched, those
demons have to leave.
And then there is the evil spirit of
grudges, of unforgiveness and hatred.
These are all these demons which have to
leave when you come with the gospel.
That kind of spirit cannot exist when the
gospel comes.
And they will speak in new tongues.
They
will
speak in tongues.
And they will speak with new tongues.
That happened at Pentecost, where the disciples spoke
not with tongues of angels, but with tongues
of men.
Languages which people could understand.
In today's language, English, Afrikaans, Zulu, people could
understand.
And they were amazed because they heard these
people speaking in languages which they hadn't learned,
but which those people understood.
It was their language.
New tongues.
But then there are also the tongues of
angels which need interpretation.
But then there is also the tongues of
demons which need
interpretation.
But then there is also the case where
a person changes the way he speaks.
He has a new tongue.
He used to swear and curse and be
rude and impolite, unfriendly.
Suddenly he meets up with the Lord Jesus,
his life is changed, and the way he
speaks is brand new.
He has a new tongue.
And they will take up serpents.
And they will take up snakes.
When Paul was shipwrecked on that island, it
was very cold.
They made a fire and they were putting
logs on the fire.
Paul put some on and a snake came
out and tangled itself around his hand.
And the people said, well this must be
a very bad sinner because he escaped the
shipwreck, but now he has to die.
But Paul just took the snake off into
the fire and it died.
And confirm everything with signs.
How wonderful that He now sits at the
right hand of the Father.
All power is given unto Him and every
knee shall bow.
Every tongue will confess that He is Lord.
And even if you don't want to admit
that now, you will have to admit it
one day.
So this is a wonderful time, a wonderful
day that we remember.
He ascended into heaven, was given that power,
and He said, and after ten days then,
He sent the Holy Spirit.
That is Pentecost.
And He went up there to sit there
to be with those that believe and to
help those.
Had He not ascended, we would not have
received the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
He said, I must go first, I must
go to the Father, and only then can
I send the Holy Spirit.
So it's a great thing that Jesus ascended
into heaven.
And I experienced that the Lord visited us
here this morning.
I don't think the disciples could ever be
the same again after that which they heard
from the Lord.
We heard how the Lord Jesus came and
rebuked them.
Often we pray and we say, Lord, please
reveal Yourself to us.
But in Malachi we read that when He
comes, who will be able to stand when
He comes?
And maybe the disciples as well, when they
heard Jesus had appeared to some of the
other disciples, they said, oh, we wish He
would appear to us.
But when He came and He did appear
to them, it was to rebuke them.
And that can be the same with us
as well.
In Malachi we read that He will purify
the Levites as silver and as gold.
And that's what He'll do when He'll come
to you and to me and reveals Himself
to us.
And we also heard how the Lord Jesus
then sent the disciples to go out into
all the world.
And we heard that pertains to you and
it pertains to me as well.
If a person has been sent, he cannot
just do what he likes to do.
If a person has been sent, he can't
be busy with his own things.
He's got an obligation to complete that mission
and that task for which he's been sent.
And I was reminded also there where Jesus
said to His disciples that I have food
from which you know nothing, and that is
to do the will of My Father who
has sent Me, that when we do His
will, at the same time we are strengthened.
And that's my being.
And that's maybe why a person experiences leanness
of soul and experiences his life not being
fulfilled.
Maybe you're not busy with the work for
which you have been sent.
And then we heard about the promises that
the Lord gave His disciples, His will, that
also doesn't only pertain to them, but is
also His will for us.
And the Lord Jesus also said, when I
go, I will send the Comforter and He
said, wait for that promise that you will
be filled with the Holy Spirit to receive
the power to take My message.
May that be our desire to be filled
with the Holy Spirit.
And in Thessalonians it even says, be filled
with the Spirit as a command.
Uncle Ben, would you please close for us?
Thank you.
May I share something before we pray?
I was asked the other day to go
and collect some parts from a firm which
I had never been to.
And when I got to that firm, I
said, I'm from Mseni Farming, I would like
to collect that which I've been asked to
collect.
And a black man said to me, one
can recognize the people that are from Mseni.
I said, how do you recognize them?
He said, here.
He pointed just to his lips and said,
I can recognize you here.
I said, what difference is there?
He said, there is a tremendous difference from
the way you speak and the other people.
And I realized what a tremendous challenge we
face.
We never know who is watching us and
at what time.
But when I heard that they will speak
in different tongues, I realized what the Lord
has done for us.
Therefore, let us carry on following the Lord.
Wherever we are, we are proclaiming the gospel.
And I was collecting parts and I was
recognized from where I come.
And if I would have come in a
different way, I could have spoiled the testimony
of all those who had been to that
firm before.
Let
us pray.
We thank you, Lord, that we were able
to be together here today.
Many people have forgotten that it's the day
of your ascension today.
In a way, we have made a statement
by coming together here today.
And it's been a privilege, Lord, to listen
to your word.
In a new way, you have sent us
out again today.
Grant us that faith and that Spirit of
God that will be on our lips, in
our hearts, in our minds, in all our
being.
So that we will carry out your gospel
in a new way.
And make use of the chances that you
give us.
And as we part now, we pray that
you will part us with your blessing.
Give us all that we need to live
lives that will bring honor and glory to
your name.
For your name's sake, we ask it.
Amen.