Keep Your Feet On The Ground And Your Eye On Heaven

Intro

As we approach the November election, we find ourselves in an intense time in our history. The attempted assassination of President Trump testifies to that fact. The Republican convention concluded last Thursday. The Democrat convention is coming up in August. Who knows what decisions will be made at that gathering? The months before and after a national election are typically charged with emotion. That was the case four years ago and is likely to be so in the days ahead. Everybody knows there is a lot at stake. The two parties could not be more different in their agendas for the future.

The church is also experiencing turbulent times with all the scandals that are going on. Megachurch pastors who were once revered are being removed from their leadership positions. These scandals are leaving many Christians confused and disappointed. At the same time, all kinds of prophecies concerning the future are being published on the internet. It seems to be anything but business as usual.

With all this going on, I was asking the Lord how we are to navigate the months ahead. How do we keep our bearings amongst all that is going on? It is the answer he gave me that I want to share with you in this message. It can be summarized in this one sentence: Keep your feet on the ground and your eye on heaven.

KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND

What do I mean by the phrase “keep your feet on the ground”? I mean that we are to not get excessively caught up in all the “stuff” we find on the internet—whether it be political news or church news. We need to be reasonably informed, but there is a kind of feeding on scandal that is not healthy. There are emotions in the political arena that can lead to poor judgment. Keep your feet on the ground as we proceed forward.

Stay faithful to your daily responsibilities. In the church at Thessalonica, there was intense fervor about the coming of the Lord. We certainly should be looking forward to that glorious day. We certainly should prepare ourselves spiritually for the coming of the Lord. There is a lot of Scripture telling us to do that. Jesus gave the Parable of the Ten Virgins for example.i Peter asked the question in his epistle: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God . . .?” (2 Pet. 3:11-12).ii As the end grows near, the need to prepare intensifies. In Titus 2, Paul reminds believers that God’s grace teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The Thessalonians we right in their love for Christ’s appearing. If we are not living in that passionate anticipation for the coming of the Lord, we need revival. To love Christ’s appearing is the norm for followers of the Lord. Something is wrong if that is absent. And the prominent effect of that anticipation should be godly living.iii John talked about the coming of the Lord and then added: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).iv This blessed hope has a purifying effect on our lives. That is clearly a good thing. It is part of keeping our eye on heaven.

But some of the Thessalonian Christians got so caught up in the anticipation of Christ’s coming that they neglected their natural duties. If this is all going to end, why make my house payment? Why get up and go to that boring job? Why not just live off my credit cards or, better yet, get other Christians to take care of me while I ponder the glory of Christ’s return? In other words, they became so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good.

In the Parable of the Pounds, Jesus taught us to occupy till he comes. Be good stewards of what God has entrusted you with. Jesus himself probably worked as a carpenter until he was launched into full time ministry at 30 years old (Luke 3:23).v We live in a natural world, and we all have work to do in that world (work that benefits others as well as ourselves). Fulfilling those duties is part of what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves.

So, in 2 Thess 3:10-12 Paul wrote: “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.”