Situational Awareness

Head in the Clouds

This morning I want to take some time to consider three stories. The first is about someone named Jordan. Jordan is a freshman in high school who has dreams about one day being an astronaut and everything Jordan does is in pursuit of that goal. At home, the ceiling in Jordan’s bedroom is covered in a meticulously painted map of the night sky, with constellations delicately traced out and accurate pictures of different parts of the solar system. Each morning, Jordan has a friend who stops by while running to the gym and extends an invitation to come along. Each morning, Jordan declines that invitation to spend the early hours of the morning looking through a telescope on the porch. During the school day, Jordan spends most of each class period doodling pictures of planets and rockets in notebooks, daydreaming about being an astronaut. Doesn’t get involved with any clubs or sports, doesn’t go to school events or dances or games - just spends most of every single day staring up at the stars. Jordan does make it into college, majors in mechanical engineering, but doesn’t get involved with any clubs or professional organizations. During the summer, Jordan returns home to the telescope on the porch instead of seeking out internships.

Finally, after years of barely making it, Jordan graduates with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and applies for a position at NASA. Initially, the HR department declines Jordan’s application immediately because it simply doesn’t meet their standards. Jordan has the necessary degree, but no work experience, no demonstration of initiative or leadership or work ethic. Luckily for Jordan; however, the associate administrator of aeronautics research is Jordan’s father - so a couple strings get pulled an Jordan does get to be an astronaut after all.

Doesn’t that just grind your gears? This kid spent high school and college looking up at the stars, didn’t put the work in at all, was probably way less qualified than any of the other applicants - but because of who the father was, got into a dream position. Before you get too worked up though, I want to let you know that Jordan the astronaut is completely fabricated and any likeness to any real person is completely coincidental and to ask you this. How often do we find ourselves in a similar position? How often do we spend our lives looking up at God and focusing on our relationship with Him like Jordan looked up at the stars? How often do we miss out on opportunities to strengthen our faith, to pursue the mission that He has put in front of us like Jordan missed out on all those internships and resume builders? But our heavenly Father steps in, pulls strings to get us the position we were hoping for that whole time.

Why Do You Stand Looking into Heaven?

Which brings us back to what we heard about the disciples earlier this morning. The disciples had spent years following Jesus around, they had learned incredible things directly from Him, and they had even gone out doing work for Him. They had seen Him doing miracles and healings in person. They had gotten to hear the quiet conversations that took place in private where He explained the parables that He shared with the crowds. They had seen Him die and, more incredibly, witnessed Him after that. They had met with Him, spoken with Him, learned from Him, eaten with Him - all after He died and rose again. He taught them that in His death, He had accepted the cost of all their sins. He taught them that in His resurrection, He had won them places in eternal paradise alongside Him. And knowing that especially was incredibly exciting, so it was understandable that they were looking forward to it. It makes complete sense that they would ask if Jesus was going to restore the kingdom right then and there. But His reply maybe throws them off, He says in Acts 1:7-8

Acts 1:7–8 (ESV)

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.”

He tells them that it’s not their concern when God is going to finally restore creation. He promises them the power of the Holy Spirit. And He gives them a mission, a responsibility to be His witnesses in the world. Then Jesus is lifted up and disappears into a cloud - so they stare at the cloud. Maybe they’re waiting for Him to come back, maybe they’re waiting for the Holy Spirit to show up as promised, or maybe they’re just trying to process their friend, leader, and teacher just disappearing into a cloud. Until two men in white robes ask an important question - “why do you stand looking into heaven?” I can almost hear an unspoken second part of that question, “why do you stand looking into heaven? You have a job to do!”

How often do we find ourselves in a similar position? Many of us have spent years following Jesus and learning things about Him - some of you have been doing that since before I was born. You’ve heard about the miracles and healing that He did. You know that Jesus died for you, that He paid the price for all your sins, that you have a place in eternity beside Him forever. We know that forgiveness and eternal life are gifts, that we don’t have to do anything do earn them or to keep them. So how often do we slip into staring into heaven? How often could we be gently asked, “why do you stand looking into heaven? You have a job to do!”

Look Around

I have one more scenario to put in front of you this morning. Think about how you came to faith. Maybe your parents raised you in the church and from before you can remember you knew what Jesus had done for you. Maybe you came to faith later in life and a friend or family member shared this hope with you and brought you to church. Maybe you stumbled into it, maybe you were looking for it. But the Holy Spirit worked in your life and brought you to faith. Since then, you’ve learned a thing or two. You’ve been to church services, maybe you’ve been to a Bible Study, maybe you’re in a small group, maybe you’ve dived into the Bible on your own. And you know that your salvation doesn’t depend on you. You know that all of your sins have been forgiven. You know that even your faith is a gift, not a choice or a dedication you had to decide on. But with that comes a temptation to hold position. To get up, do the morning routine, go to work or school, go home, eat dinner, watch TV, hopefully shower and brush your teeth at some point, go to bed, and then get up and do it all again. When it comes to God, we look forward to that day when Jesus comes again, when all the suffering, pain, sin, and death we see and experience ends forever - someday. But in that regard, we’re standing there, looking up at the sky.

Why do you stand looking into heaven? You have a job to do!

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told the disciples that they would be His witnesses to the end of the earth. But how often do we forget that mission? Or maybe, we don’t feel equipped for that mission. Maybe we’re waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit to come on us - whatever that means today. And I get that, I do - so this summer we’re going to host a training from Lutheran Hour Ministries, who’ve spent a lot of time and money figuring out how to help regular people feel comfortable doing effective evangelism. It’s a perfect opportunity to stop standing and looking into heaven, to instead be equipped to be God’s witness in your neighborhood, in your community, and all around you.

Why do you stand looking into heaven? You have a job to do! Amen.