Heavenly Minded Series

Years ago, a famous Supreme Court Justice named Oliver Wendall Holmes said: “Some people are so heavenly minded, that they are no earthly good.” Now, I’m not exactly sure why he said that, but it has been true in the past.

ILLUS: In 1823, there was a Baptist minister by the name of William Miller. He began to teach that Jesus was going to return to earth VERY soon. His teachings seemed so well researched that at one point he had nearly 100,000 followers (called Millerites). Then he put a date to the return of Christ – somewhere between March 21st of 1843 and March 21st in 1844. But Jesus… didn’t come. Still, Miller was so sure of his conclusions that he assumed he was off by just a month or so… and he set a new date of April 18, 1844. But again, Jesus didn’t return.

Finally, there was a follower of Miller – a man named Samuel Snow – who had closely studied Miller’s research and concluded that Christ was absolutely returning on October 22, 1844. There was so question about it. He was very firm on this. Snow’s prediction became so popular that when the big day came, 000s of the Millerites sold all their possessions and refrained from planting crops… and gathered in homes and churches, on mountains and meadows and looked anxiously to the sky looking for Jesus’ return. They were convinced THIS WAS THE DAY! And they all watched and waited – for hours - for Jesus to return. But he didn’t come on October 22nd, and they all went home.(https://www.cracked.com/article_34313_in-1844-americans-sold-all-of-their-stuff-because-jesus-was-coming-back.html)

Quite literally, these folks had become so heavenly minded that they had become of no earthly good. They meant well, but their thinking was… wrong.

In our text today, that’s probably WHY the Angels told Jesus’ followers: “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 1:11

Now, why did the angels say what they said? Well, because these men were doing what I’d have done if I’d been there. Jesus had just ascended, and they’re so astonished by what they’ve seen it was if they were transfixed where they stood. They couldn’t move! They were so focused on what had happened that they might have stayed on the mountain for a looong time waiting for Christ to come back.

But they had a job to do. Jesus “had ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me.’” (Acts 1:4) They needed to be in Jerusalem. They needed to be there at Jerusalem for Pentecost - because they had a job to do! So, the angels basically reminded them of that job.

Now, let me clarify: I’m NOT saying we shouldn’t watch for Jesus’ return. I’m saying that that we should be careful to make sure that our watchfulness doesn’t get in the way of working for His kingdom until He does return.

WE WANT TO BE FOUND READY WHEN HE COMES BACK

ILLUS: A little girl had just been taught about the 2nd Coming at Sunday School and she began asking her mother a series of questions. “Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?” and Mom replied: “Yes.” The girl persisted “Could he come this week?” “Yes” said her mom. “Today?” the girl asked. “Yes" said mom. “Could he come in the next hour?” “Yes.” “In a few minutes?” “Yes, dear.” “Mommy, would you comb my hair?” (Don Hussong, East Wenatchee, Washington. Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 3.)

That little girl wanted to be READY for Jesus’ returned.

II Peter 3:10-12 tells us that WE need to be ready too “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. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!”

That passage is telling us we SHOULD be waiting for Christ’s return. But while we’re waiting… we need to be actively involved in living lives of holiness and godliness.

Years ago, I told people I thoroughly expected Jesus to show up by age 50. HE MISSED IT BY … THAT MUCH. Now, I was kind of joking - but why not? Why shouldn’t Jesus return before I was 50? I still believe Jesus will return during my lifetime but if He doesn’t, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. If He does NOT show up in the next 50 years - when He DOES come, I’ll rise from the grave to meet Him in the air. And if He DOES SHOW UP before I die… I want to be found working for His kingdom.