Are You Still Looking Up?

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Acts 2:6-11

I can’t help but see God’s sense of humor in things. It did not hit me until this morning that we began the book of Acts yesterday as our sermon series. The book begins with Jesus’ final words to the disciples before He ascends in to heaven, and while the disciples are gazing at the sky, two men appear to them and say “Why are you still looking up?” And, to paraphrase, say “Go do what Jesus said!”

This morning, as I was driving through our town, it was than I am used to for this time of year. Apparently there’s some celestial event that people have come to see, and you can see it in its totality here in our town (I know it’s the eclipse, I’m just being silly). It’s said it will last for about 3 hours, with the totality of the Eclipse being roughly three and a half minutes long. I remember seeing one as a kid. It certainly is a sight to see, for sure, but it’s amazing how much time, effort and money people will pay to see this happen. What is more, as I’ve heard said time and time again, even people who do not acknowledge the Creator of the Universe will stop and gaze in awe at His fine tuning. Yet, I can’t help but feel that it begs the question: Why are we looking up? There’s work to do.

I can’t help but see God’s sense of humor in things. We’re still looking up, aren’t we? Anything from people making prophecies to eclipse  glasses, we’re still stuck looking up. There’s work to do. There’s people who are dead in their sin apart from Christ. He’s sent us in to the world to be lights in the world, especially when all is dark. Let’s get to work.

2 Timothy 3:1-4:8

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.