Looking out Before Looking Up

Notes on Acts 1:6-14

Recently, listened to a podcast on the history of the 7th Day Adventists… Fascinating history!

7th Day Adventists came out what’s called the Millerite movement:

William Miller and the Great Disappointment

October 22, 1844 Up to 100,000 people gathered on hillsides around the United States for a collective “Beam Me up Scotty,” Moment.

Ready to leave all the problems and pains in this world

And then when it didn’t happen… Man, were people ever disappointed!

Henry Edmonds: “I waited all Tuesday [October 22] and dear Jesus did not come;—I waited all the forenoon of Wednesday, and was well in body as I ever was, but after 12 o'clock I began to feel faint, and before dark I needed someone to help me up to my chamber, as my natural strength was leaving me very fast, and I lay prostrate for 2 days without any pain—sick with disappointment.”

They were waiting with their eyes up to the clouds, and it’s unfortunate that in their case, angels didn’t approach them and say what 2 said to the disciples: “Why are you staring up to the sky?”

Angels Reassures the Disciples of His Return

v. 11: 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.”

He’ll come back, but if you wait there like that, your back’s gunna hurt.

“He will come back the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

As if to encourage them, “Don’t worry, he’s coming back!”

Babysitters reassuring the kiddos, don’t worry, they’re gunna come back!

“Don’t worry, he’ll be back.”

Just as the angels make the connection between Jesus leaving with his coming back, we’re going to do the same this morning!

Ascension and Descension: What do we know?

Jesus Coming Down on Clouds

Luke 21:27-28 “27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.””

Revelation 1:7 “7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.”

II Thess 1:7 “And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.”

Similar But Different

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

Important Clarification:

“Caught up Together”=TDNT: “The word ἀπάντησις (also ὑπάντησις, DG) is to be understood as a tech. term for a civic custom of antiquity whereby a public welcome was accorded by a city to important visitors.”

Father-in-Law: Queen was coming to visit India. Delegation party came out to meet her on route to her journey to their home town.

Sense: A Delegation Party comes and joins in with the angels who will escort or serve as ushers to bring Jesus down.

Matthew 24:38-41: 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

You don’t want to be the one who gets raptured in this scenerio!

What will Jesus Find when he Gets here?

Depends on your understanding of Scripture:

1. Premillienial View: Jesus will Come to a Terrestrial Dump

Premillenial: Jesus will come to an Terrestrial Dump

7 Years of Tribulation. The world will be in chaos. People will have a second chance to repent.

Left Behind Series

Don’t want to be one of the ones taken

Classic: Christ comes after 7 terrible years of Tribulation and then rules for 1,000 before the Final Judgment.

Pre-Tribulation: Christ will come back before the millenium, BUT will secretly take believers before 7 year tribulation. Christ will come back publicly for 1,000 years.

This all means that things are going to get a whole lot worse.

2. Postmillenial: Jesus will Come Back to a Terrestrial Utopia

Things are Going to get a Whole Lot Better

Waiting for Jesus to come back after a thousand year progression towards Christian Utopia.

Some post-mills believe 1,000 started when Jesus ascended and that Christian influence will continue to influence cultures everywhere.

3. Amillenial: Jesus will Come back Anytime

Revelation: Books of Symbols

a-mill=no millenium, at least no LITERAL millenium.

Revelation:

Comics contain plenty of truth, but it’s not literally describing reality.

Point: Jesus will come. He will come down to us.

Amillienial: He’s coming coupled with tribulation. “The Great Divorce”

Jesus is Coming Back, What should our Posture or Attitude be Towards Jesus’ Return?

By NOT Starting up into the Clouds!

Can’t Plan Specifics:

Acts 1:7 “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Matthew 24:36 “36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

II Peter 3:10 “10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

Although the Millerites are a famous group of people with their eyes to the sky, I think it’s still important to think through what they did:

Many people prepared for Jesus arrival!

If you knew Jesus was coming back at Wednesday at 9am, how would that change the way you live?

William Miller: Took on a ton of persecution.

People sold everything they had. People neglected their farms. They made all the arrangements necessary for their departure.

On that October night, people waited on roof tops, climbed tries, climbed mountains, did everything they could to ensure they didn’t miss seeing Jesus arrive!

October 1975: Jehovah Witnesses: People sold their homes, quite their jobs, fill time ministry!

Not that you should do any of this, but would you? Could you?

What should our Mindset be about Jesus’ Return?

Be Fearless, Faithful, Reassured, and Reasonable

John 14:1-3: Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

II Thess 2:1-2 “1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Titus 2:11-1 “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

Grace=Gratitude:

Going back to the text...

Difference between posture and activity:

Mindset

But what Should We be Doing?

Reason #2: What should we do?

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 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.”

Obedience to Jesus

Listen to his instructions: Go to Jerusalem. That’s no longer something we need to do, but it’s important that the disciples listened:

v.12: Went back to Jerusalem

v. 13: Waited in an Upper Room (no longer about fear, but about obedience). All of them!

v. 14: Devoted to prayer along with the other believers…

2. Prepare of Power:

“You will receive power.”

Power: “Are you now going to restore the kingdom of Israel.”

Not that power!

Power not through Israel, Not through Rome, but through the RUACH!

As you Prepare, you have POWER

Redefinition of Power

3. Witnessing about Jesus

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

How should we understand this?