Caught Staring

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

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.”

Intro

Maysfield UMC

The church closed because they lost focus

Observations from the text

The disciples still didn’t get it

“restore the kingdom to Israel”

They didn’t get it until they were filled with the Holy Spirit

That would be an amazing site

“He was lifted up”

I don’t blame the disciples for staring

A promise that Jesus would return

“will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven”

Disciples would…

Receive power with the Holy Spirit came upon them

Be Jesus’ witnesses

What are we staring at?

The past

Oh, those glory days

If only we had…then...

We don’t want change

It was good enough for me, and it’s good enough for them

In 2007, Alan Deutschman released a book titled Change or Die. His main thesis, backed up by research, was if given a choice between life and death, most people and leaders choose death if they have to make substantive changes.

Thom Rainer put out a book in 2020, Anatomy Of A Revived Church, in which he applies his study to the same thesis, “If given a choice between life and death, most church members and church leaders choose death if they have to make substantive changes in their churches.”

“I served my time”

“It’s someone else’s turn”

Our traditions

Doing things because we’ve always done them

Decorations in the church

Bulletins

Music

Our facilities

Special gifts

Can’t throw it away

Can’t change it

Don’t let the youth mess it up

Perhaps it’s time for an update

Our expectations

How we think things SHOULD be

Our situation

We have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses and made it possible for us to go confidently to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help in the time of need

Where should our focus be?

Looking to Jesus

The disciples were no longer looking at Jesus but an empty sky

Our goal is to know God, intellectually and experientially

We are not a club, we are a church

Prayer and Scripture

Devoted lives

Looking to others

It’s not about you

Jesus came to serve not be served

Preparing the next generation

Not to do what has always been done

To work how God has equipped them to work

Spreading the gospel to our community

They have sinned, Jesus died for their sin, put their faith in Jesus

How does our ministry point people to Jesus?

Fun is good, but don’t forget the gospel

Calling and checking on people is a wonderful ministry for those who can’t do as much

How now shall we live?

Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father to intercede for us, to be our High Priest, and to send us the Holy Spirit. He is praying for you and has equipped you for the ministry. The Triune God is working on your behalf, not just so you can feel nice but continue where Jesus left off. Don’t be caught staring, be caught working.

Jesus is in the holy of holies and has given us access. At any time and any where we can be in God’s presence; on Sunday morning, at your work desk, at the airport, when you are well, and when you are sick, when you are happy, and when you are sad. Jesus never leaves you or forsakes you, is seated at the right hand of God the Father, and has sent the Holy Spirit, another Helper, Counselor, Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God to dwell with you. Let us live with that, anywhere we are we can praise God and feel Him at work within us. What does it matter what the liturgical color is today or how well the choir sang or how well I preached? We can abide in God if we will keep our eyes on Him and not get stuck staring at our expectations.