We want to read the word of God this morning from Ephesians chapter 4 and we're going to read at the beginning of the chapter. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all loneliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some apostles and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. from whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Amen. We'll end there at verse 16, and we know the Lord will bless the reading of his word to all our hearts. If you turn to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1, verses 9, 10 and 11 we want to consider today in connection with the ascension of the Saviour Acts chapter 1 we'll read these three verses verse 9 and when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two 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 in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. This period of 40 days in which the saviour spent on earth after his resurrection teaching his disciples was swiftly coming to a close the time had now come for him to take his leave of his people and to return to his father in heaven he had always planned to do that He had repeatedly told his disciples, particularly in those memorable words that you have in John's Gospel chapter 14 verse 18, where he says, I will not leave you comfortless. And the word comfortless there has the idea of being an orphan. In fact, that's what it's translated in the margin as, I will not leave you orphanless. and the saviour was indicating I'm going away I'm returning to my father which is in heaven we know that he gave them the promise of the holy ghost that he would send them another comforter but he's telling them I have to leave there was a necessity that brought him to that place where he would have to take his leave off Luke tells us in his gospels account that the saviour led these disciples out as far as Bethany And there he lifted up his hands and he blessed them. Then he ascended up into heaven. Now the ascension of the Lord Jesus is extremely important in the plan of redemption. It's prophesied in the Old Testament, Psalm 24, we were singing it at the very commencement of our service, particularly verses 7, 8, 9 and 10 of that Psalm. talks about the gates being opened welcoming the King of Glory and the thought is there of heaven welcoming the King of Glory of the Lord having left heaven gone down to earth humbled himself condescended did the work that his father had given him to do and yes he was going to come back and he was going to send up into heaven and enter in triumphant back to where he was before back to the glory that he had with his father in time past. Psalm 68 mentions it, verse 18, it's quoted in that passage that we read this morning. Thou hast ascended in high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men. So it's prophesied of in the Old Testament. The ascension of Christ was typified in the Old Testament. The ascending of Enoch and Elijah up into heaven were types of the ascension of Christ. They are not types of the rapture of believers, as some people claim. Rather they are pictures of Christ's ascent up into heaven. Enoch, if we take him first of all, for he was the earlier one, he's described in the word of God as the seventh from Adam. Why should he be described in the scriptures by that title? Well you remember that seven is the perfect number in the Old Testament and Enoch was the seventh from Adam. He was the man who walked with God and then he was taken up into heaven. And it's typifying the perfect man, even Christ, the one who was greater in his walk with God than Enoch. The Lord Jesus always did those things that pleased his father. And he was the perfect man and he ascended up into glory. Elijah was the chief of the prophets. The great representative of the prophets that stood on the Mount of Transfiguration along with Moses representing the law and the prophets. And Elijah went up into heaven and he was a type of Christ, the great prophet. They are tapes of Christ, they are not tapes of the raptures of believers. The Ascension is referred to frequently in the New Testament. Paul speaks of it, Ephesians 4, we read that chapter or part of that chapter this morning. Peter speaks of it in his writings. John speaks of it in his writings. You see, in the whole scheme of redemption, the Ascension plays just as an important part as the Incarnation or the Atonement. there's an absolute necessity to the ascension of Christ and we want to think about that today and we want to look at it three ways we want first of all to think about it physically Then we want to think about it theologically, and then thirdly we want to think about it theoretically. Because all three of them are mentioned in these three verses that we want to consider this morning. First of all if we think about the physical aspect of the Ascension, Luke both in his Gospel and here in the Acts of the Apostles makes reference to the physical aspects of this Ascension. He tells us in his gospel that Christ parted himself from his disciples. It's not so much that he was parted from them by another power, but that he himself stood apart from them, ready to ascend up into heaven. You see, no power must assist Christ in his ascension into heaven. He must rise from the dead, he must ascend up into heaven. And that parting from the disciples and that ascending must be something that he does as the God-man on the behalf of his people. It tells us that he was carried up into the heavens. His own power took him up there. He was the Lord from glory. He had come from heaven. He was going back to heaven. Heaven was his abode. That's his natural abode. Heaven was where he belonged. He only sojourned in this world for a little time. In Psalm 24 verse 7 it says, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Christ was going back to where he belonged. He was the Son of God. He was the King of glory. He was the Lord. from heaven, who had come down to this earth to tabernacle for a time, and having done the work that he was given to do, he ascends up to heaven. That's his natural abode. You'll notice in Acts chapter 1 verse 9, it tells us of the cloud that received him out of their sight. They only saw the Saviour ascend for a little while. as he went up from the Mount of Olives up into the sky they only saw him going up for a little bit because this cloud came over and the cloud would have hidden him from their view it tells us they only saw him for a little while I don't think that cloud was any ordinary cloud it doesn't tell us that specifically But we certainly can remember what the Bible records about the cloud that appeared at the time of his transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17 and verse 5 it says while he yet spake behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him so this cloud appeared at his transfiguration and here's a cloud that is mentioned with his ascension into heaven that cloud was A welcoming cloud. It was as if his father had come for him. Just like there was the voice that came from the cloud at the transfiguration and it was the father speaking about his son. There's no voice from heaven at this time when the Savior ascends, but the cloud appears nevertheless. And I think we can draw a parallel between the cloud at the transfiguration and the cloud at the ascension. And we can get some insight as to what it's all about. Why is there the cloud that appears? Well the Father was in the clouds at the Mount of Transfiguration. There's a Father in the clouds here at the Ascension welcoming his Son home to glory. For this we know Heaven takes a keen interest in the work of redemption. All of Heaven takes a keen interest, even the angels that are in Heaven take a keen interest in the work of redemption. They're interested in what went on. Remember how it was typified in the Old Testament with the cherubims at the end of the Ark of the Covenant? Representing those heavenly creatures and how their faces were turned towards the mercy seat. And if you ever see any descriptions, any drawings of the Ark of the Covenant, there's always those cherubims on the end of it and their faces are always tilted in that bit. They're looking on at redemption, they're looking on at the mercy seat. Peter makes reference to that in 1 Peter 1 verses 10, 11 and 12 we're not going to read all three verses but it says at the beginning of verse 10 of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come Well, it's not surprising, not that individuals on earth would be interested in the work of redemption, for it affects them. But when you get down to the very end of verse 12, it says, which things the angels desire to look into. And that's a reference to what was symbolised on the Ark of the Covenant with the cherubim looking on at the mercy seat. The angels desire to look into this. Heaven takes a keen interest in the great work of redemption. And as the Saviour comes to an end of his work on earth, making atonement, rising from the dead, now ascending up into heaven, this cloud appears. Heaven had an interest in taking him home. and welcoming him as Psalm 24 verse 7 would indicate to us. There's a welcoming of Christ as a result of what he did. It tells you also in Acts chapter 1 that there were two men that appeared in white apparel when The disciples were standing there looking steadfastly up into heaven. Two men stood by them in white apparel. Two heavenly creatures. Now, two men appeared at the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah, the representative of the law and the prophets. Like the cloud, it's not told to us here who these men were. Whether they were human individuals like Moses or Elijah or whether they were angels but they're heavenly creatures anyway they're those that have come to accompany the Savior up to glory the one who's going up triumphant they have come and they're seen by others because we in verse 11 we discover that they speak to the disciples So they know that they're there, these two men in white apparel. Does it not remind us of the fact that heaven is a holy place, white apparel? That's absolutely essential. If we are ever to be among them and enter into heaven ourselves, There has to be that washing and being made clean. These men stand in white apparel. They're heavenly creatures. They're pure creatures. They're holy creatures. Whether they are angels or whether they're glorified human beings. Whether it was Moses and Elijah. They're standing there in white apparel. It's the Lord of Glory that's ascending. And it's as if heaven is welcoming him home. He set aside that glory in order to come to this earth to redeem his people. Now heaven is welcoming him home. and as we know from Psalm 24 there was that note of praise and triumph as our Saviour did descend where it talks about the everlasting doors being lifted up and the King of Glory coming in who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battle and that's a reference to the work that he has done on earth he came to this earth to conquer great foes and he is triumphed and heaven is welcoming him home. It is the Lord of Glory. We ought always to remember that that's who came to redeem us. None less than God's own dear son, child of God. God gave himself in order to redeem our souls from going down to destruction. So you have that physical view of the ascension. I want you to think secondly about a theological view of the ascension. It's important to remember that the work of Christ on the behalf of his people did not conclude with his resurrection. Just as the high priest on the day of atonement had a work to do without the veil and then a work to do within the veil, so likewise does Jesus Christ as our great high priest. His work of atonement was his work without the veil. His work in coming down to this earth and going to the cross and laying down his life, shedding his blood, that's his work of atonement. That was figured in the work that the high priest did without the veil at the brazen altar when he would have sacrificed the animal and offered it upon the altar. That was what Christ did in this world. But we all know that the high priest on the day of atonement had something else to do. he had to go into the tabernacle, into the holy place for the one time in the year he went on in past the veil into the holiest of all and there upon the ark of the covenant he would have sprinkled the blood that had been shed out of the brazen altar and the sacrifice that had been made out there he took the blood of that animal and he brought it in and he sprinkled it upon the mercy seat he presented it before God When Jesus Christ ascended up from the Mount of Olives up into Heaven, He was going to do that work. He was going to fulfill that type and that shadow that is given to us there in the work of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. He was entering in within the veil. Because Paul in the book of Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 tell us that that tabernacle on earth prefigured what is in Heaven. The actual building of the tabernacle, the holy place and the holiest of all. So Christ has a work to do for his people within the veil. That's why he had to go back to heaven. That's why he said to his disciples, I have to go. I have to go. There was a necessity upon it as part of the work of redemption. If Christ had not done this work, then there would be no redemption. This is just as important as the atonement. You see it was the person of the mediator that ascended up into heaven. Being the son of God, he was the one who was omnipresent. He was therefore always in his father's presence. But in leaving the mount of Olives, in ascending up into heaven, it was the man Christ Jesus who was ascending up. It was the person of the mediator, it was our nature that was ascending up into heaven. And we need to view Christ in that sense. Ascending up in his human nature. He didn't leave his human nature behind. His body came forth from the grave. It saw no corruption. And it was his human nature that he ascended up with into heaven. And he was doing it on the behalf of his people. That was part of the glory that was promised him by his father as mediator. If he would come and do that work of redeeming sinners, condescend, humble himself, go to the cross, suffer the cruel death on the cross, the father promised to glorify him. The father promised to exalt him highly. Remember the Saviour's own words to the two disciples on the Mayesh Road, Luke 24 verses 25 and 26, O fools and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? That's part of what was promised Him by His Father, that He would enter into His glory. This is the reward for redeeming sinners. You have that spelt out. very clearly in Philippians chapter 2 where having talked about his condescension down to the place where he was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Then verse 9, Philippians chapter 2 verse 9, Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. There was a special honour given to him. for having done the work of redemption. His father was going to glorify him. And here he is ascending up on high. Paul tells us in the book of Hebrews that he ascended up to sit at his father's right hand. Now that's a metaphor. God is a spirit therefore God does not have a right hand or a left hand physically. But what is it teaching us? When the Bible talks about Christ being set at his father's right hand, what is that a reference to? Well, it's an Eastern Hebrew idiom and it means to occupy the highest place of honour and to share in royal authority. That's what it refers to when it talks about Jesus Christ being exalted and raised to sit at God's right hand. Not just as the son because he was always there as the son. He always shared in his father's glory. He was co-equal with his father as Philippians chapter 2 tells us. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He always had that glory. But when it talks about Christ the mediator being raised up by His Father, glorified by His Father, exalted to this place where He sits at His Father's right hand, we have to remember He's doing it in His human nature. He's doing it in the person of the God-Man. That's what is in view there. It's the God-Man that is exalted to sit at the Father's right hand. our nature in union with the Son of God that nature is exalted today right up into heaven to sit at God's right hand the highest honour is given to the God-man and to share in royal authority that's why John writing in the book of the Revelation in his visions that he saw He looked into heaven and he saw as it had been a lamb that was slain. The God-man, the mediator, that's the one who has the centre place of heaven today. It's the mediator, exalted and raised up to God's right hand. So it's the person of the mediator that is ascending up into heaven. The Bible tells us that He has gone to appear in heaven for us. If you turn over to Hebrews chapter 9. We've already mentioned the significance of Hebrews chapter 8 and 9 but just to take two verses out of chapter 9 verses 23 and 24. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. But here we're specifically emphasizing the last two words of verse 24, for us, That's why he's gone there. That's why he is exalted. That's why the person on the mediator has been raised to sit at God's right hand. He's there for us. He's appearing for his people. He has gone to intercede for them. He's gone to plead their cause. He's gone to present the merit of his sacrifice on their behalf and he's doing so at God's right hand. He's appearing in the presence of God for us. And as a result of that, you and I can find acceptance today with God. He's the one who pleads our cause. He's our advocate. He's the one who presents the merit of his sacrifice for he is priest and sacrifice. He's presenting himself as the high priest took the blood of the sacrifice into the holiest of all in the day of atonement and sprinkled it upon the altar. Christ took his own blood in his own person. He took himself into the presence of God. He didn't somehow go and carry the blood in some container. He was raised himself, his own person. The blood was in himself as glorified humanity, raised up to the very throne of God. There to present that sacrifice, present himself to his Father. And as a result he secures for us every blessing. Every blessing is poured out today upon us as a result of Christ entering in, presenting the blood of his own sacrifice. And as a result of that, the Father blesses us. He continues there to intercede for us. All of the blessings that flow to us from now throughout all of eternity will come as a result of the one who intercedes for us. he ever lives to intercede for his people. So in thinking about the theological view of the ascension, we've noticed it's the person of the mediator that is ascended up into heaven. He has gone to appear in the presence of God for his people. But there's one other aspect of this ascension in this point that I want us to consider. And that is that the Bible teaches us that in ascending up, he led captivity captive. Now we've noticed that phrase already a couple of times. Psalm 68 verse 18 it appears. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 10 it appears. What does that mean? When it talks about ascending up and high, leading captivity captive. But when Jesus Christ ascended up to heaven, he further robbed the devil of his power. See the Bible calls the devil the prince of the power of the air. the prince of the power of the air. Well, if you've still got Hebrews open before you, turn to chapter 4 for a moment. I want you to look at verse 14. Remember the Bible says the devil is the prince of the power of the air, but Hebrews 4.14 says, seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Now if we can just change the word into, we're not altering the original word, but the word into can also be the word through. And maybe that gives us a greater sense of what Hebrews 4 and 14 is teaching us. See man, that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. You see the picture is of Jesus Christ conquering the way up to heaven for us, opening up the way for us. Hebrews 6, 20 talks about him being the forerunner of his people who has entered heaven for us. Well what way is he the forerunner? Well he is the one who has opened up the way for us. He has conquered every enemy that hinders the child of God ever approaching unto God. He has conquered every enemy that hinders us approaching God in prayer. The devil cannot hinder a Christian praying today. The devil cannot hinder a Christian. Why? Because our Saviour has ascended up, opened up the way to us. The devil might be the prince of the power of the air, he might control the air, he might control this world, but Christ is opened up a way through the heavens into the Father's presence. The word heavens is in the plural, and we know there are three heavens. God dwells in the third heaven. So it's not just a matter of telling us that Christ has gone up into the third heaven. That's not what Hebrews 4 and 14 is teaching us. It's telling us of what the Savior has done before or as he has gone up. He has led captivity captive. That which would hinder and bind a sinner to this earth and hinder their approach unto God has been conquered. And today we have boldness to enter in. Isn't that what verse 16 of Hebrews 4 tells us? Let us therefore come unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy. Let us therefore come boldly. See in the light of this, in the light of the fact that our Saviour has passed up through the heavens, let us come with boldness. And the word boldness has the idea of freeness of access. We talk about the word somebody being bold and what we're meaning is that no respect. No respect for somebody else or no respect for where they are. That's not what it's referring here. The thought is of freeness of access, nothing to hinder us at all. There is a way that has opened up for us and it's opened because our saviour has passed through the heavens. And he has conquered the one who is the prince of the power of the air. So no devil in hell can hinder the Christian praying. No devil in hell can hinder the entrance of a Christian into heaven in person. There's a way opened up for us to one day to be with Christ in heaven. Our mediator, our prince has passed through the heavens leading captivity captive. he has opened up the way and one day we will follow him and we will be where he is but in those words that we have mentioned that Psalm 68 in Hebrews 4 mentions it talks also about him obtaining gifts for men Hebrews 4 verse 8 when he ascended up in high he led captivity captive and gave gifts on to men there's blessings as a result Remember the picture that is presented there to us in Luke's Gospel? We mentioned it a moment or two ago where the Saviour led them out as far as to Bethany. It says he lifted up his hands and he blessed them. He blessed them. That wasn't just a casual way of saying goodbye. No, it was something deliberate, it was something specific. It was something to do with his work as a mediator. He obtained gifts for men. He gave gifts or blessings onto his people. And there he is, leaving his disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, and he blesses them. And today, Christian, you and I have blessings because Christ is ascended up through the heavens. Right to God's right hand. To appear for us. So I hope we can see something of why the Ascension is so important in the matter of salvation. It's the opening up of that way for us. Very quickly I want you to notice in the last place a prophetical view of the Ascension. the disciples are naturally gazing up into heaven as the saviour goes up these two men appear in white apparel and they speak to the disciples and they tell the disciples that this same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven so they're encouraging the disciples to look away forward to the second coming of the saviour He's going to come again in like manner. Well there's some points that we can mention there that are important to notice. First of all, thinking about the Saviour's return one day, it's going to be personal and visible. That's very important. Jesus Christ is coming to this earth personally and visibly. That's how he left. He left personally, it was the person we've been seeking to emphasize that, it was the mediator that went up into heaven, it's going to be the mediator that comes down from heaven. He went up visibly, his disciples saw him going, a cloud came and covered him, that is true, but they saw Christ going up. And he's going to come back in the very same manner. don't believe that Christ is coming back to the earth either personally or visibly they believe that Christ's presence returned to the earth in 1914 and that's as much of Christ as will ever come back to this earth again they do not believe that he will ever come visibly or physically to this earth what they do say is that his presence will one day give way to his revelation And by that they mean that God is going to do certain things that will teach men that he's present in the earth, but nobody will ever see him. He will not be here visibly or personally. Now Acts chapter 1 and verse 11 tells us otherwise. This same Jesus is going to come. He's going to come visibly. He's going to come personally to this world. That's one of the great truths of Orthodox Christianity. We believe in the visible return of Jesus Christ. It's actually in our articles of faith as a denomination. There are many things that an individual Christian is entitled to hold to. We tolerate different views with regard to end time things. As to For example, whether you believe in a millennium or not. There's a number of different things regarding the coming of Christ that is left with an individual believer as to what they believe. But there are things that you must believe. There are things that we cannot refuse to hold if we do so, we're putting ourselves outside the realm of orthodoxy. And one of them is the visible return, the personal visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth. He's coming again. in like manner as we have seen him go every eye will see him the bible tells us he went up to heaven in great power and glory he's coming in great power and glory that phrase is specifically used of him in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 30 with regards to his coming It says there, then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven, then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. We've already mentioned the cloud that was there when he ascended up into heaven, there's clouds that are going to be there when he's coming from heaven. He ascended up of himself, of his power because he was the son of God, he was the king of glory, he's coming in power and in great glory. Now when he was on earth the first time he veiled that glory and concealed it in order to redeem sinners. But there's not going to be any concealing of it when he comes again the second time. It's going to be in power and great glory. And the other point to notice there before we close with regard to a prophetical view of the ascension is that he's coming back to the Mount of Olives. This same Jesus shall so come in like manner. Well he went up from the Mount of Olives, we know that for sure. Verse 12 tells us that they returned, then returned they on to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. That's where the Saviour ascended up, that's where he's coming back to. Zechariah 14 tells us that his feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives. And that means, Christians, surely that we ought to have a keen eye upon, keep a keen eye upon the events in the Middle East, and particularly in the land of Israel, for that's where Christ is coming to. That's where he's coming to. We're not to stumble in the dark and not know when or where he's coming. We might know, we can't know, we're forbidden to know the exact day or hour. But the Lord certainly teaches us in Matthew 24, the parable of the fig tree, that we are to know the times and the seasons. And we know where he's coming. So events that transpire in the Middle East, events that transpire in Israel, events that transpire in Jerusalem, ought to interest a Christian. Because that's where our Saviour is coming to. one day. We've got Heaven's authority for that. He's coming in like manner. He left the Mount of Olives. He's coming back to the Mount of Olives. And what a day that will be when He comes for His people. And we will be then like Christ. For He was given a glorified body as He ascended. And the Bible tells us that the same thing will happen to us on that day. Christ will give his people glorified bodies. He will change us and we will be triumphant like him. May we rejoice in his ascension. Our Savior has come the first time. He's coming the second time. And it's our calling to look forward to that coming. To have our eye upon it. and to long forth the prayer of the book of the Revelation of the Clothes, even so come Lord Jesus. That ought to be the longing of a Christian. O Lord come, come quickly. For what a day of triumph that's going to be. May the Lord bless His word today to all our hearts for His name's sake. Let's come before the Lord in prayer. Father in heaven, we thank Thee for our Savior ascending up into heaven. We praise Thee that today He is at Thy right hand, that He appears there for us, that He ever lives to make intercession for us. Lord, throughout all of eternity to come, even when time is no more, when this world as we know it now has long ceased, when we're in the new heavens and a new earth, still Christ will be interceding for us. For Lord, He ever lives. We thank Thee that He laid down His life once and never again will He be humbled. and have to condescend as he did, but he is exalted and exalted forevermore. And today, Lord, we worship at Thy footstool. We come to magnify Thee. We thank Thee that our Savior is the Lord of glory. And we pray that every one of us might be looking forward to His return, that we might anticipate that day with gladness. because it is our Savior that is coming. Bless thy word to us, we pray. Encourage us, we ask of thee. May we ever look upward. May we know that our redemption is drawing nigh, that Christ is coming, and coming soon, that personally and visibly he's going to stand upon this earth again. O Lord, we praise thee for all of these things. Bless thy word to us now as we come to a close and go our separate ways. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.