Dealing With Distractions

Introduction

Where I grew up in Coleman County, Alabama, there’s a congregation, small congregation that sits above beautiful Smith Lake. And the designers of this building, in one preacher’s estimation, made a terrible mistake. Because when they built the building, they wanted to incorporate the beauty of God’s creation. And so all around the building on all four sides of the auditorium are huge picture windows that you can see the lake. And on any given Sunday, you can see the beautiful lake and the boaters, the jet skiers, and the skiers. You can see the design, reasoning, but also the flaw for it. One of the hardest preached places ever to preach. Because that lake and those boats are far more pretty to look at than I am. This morning I want to talk to you about distractions.

And how distractions can keep us from the most important things in life. Distractions are annoying, aren’t they? They’re worse than annoying. They’re dangerous. That look familiar to anybody.

Even though we know better. Distracted driving has become a major issue. A lot of lives have been lost and risked because of people not paying attention to what they ought to be paying attention to. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s not just the distraction of texting and driving. There’s a distraction of what we might call texting and living. That we all have our faces buried in our phones and on our iPads and electronics, and we’re not paying attention to what’s going on. And before the older generation looks glaringly at the younger generation, we’re all guilty of that. To the chagrin of the young people in the audience. Us old guys are on the Facebook. We’re just as hip as y’all are with the Snapgram and those other kind of things.

And so this technology cuts across all generations against all different social strata. And the wonderful thing about this social media and texting and all of that is it’s brought every generation together into separate isolated corners of the same room. Because we’re just not paying attention to each other. We’re distracted.

But there’s a far greater danger I want to talk to you about this morning, and that is the danger of being spiritually distracted. Of letting things take our eyes off the goal. It could be said that Satan is there dangling something shiny in front of us, trying to play into our spiritual ADD so that we’ll take the eye off the focus of what we ought to be. One of the blessings of an assembly such as this, of an assembly such as this on a Wednesday night, or other times in which we have opportunity to be together, is that we can put our phones down. Or if we still have our phones and our tablets, they’re open up to our Bible apps, and we can focus upon that which is most important.

1. Sin Itself Can Distract Us

And hopefully use that as a reminder to stay focused throughout the rest of the week and the rest of our lives. Because there’s some dangerous distractions. This morning I’d like to talk to you about three things that Satan can use to distract you from that which is most important. And hopefully give us some tools to fight against those distractions. One distraction is just simply sin itself. Sin can distract us from our spiritual focus and our spiritual goal. Hebrews chapter 12, will you turn there with me? The beginning of Hebrews chapter 12. After chronicling a list of great men and women who were focused spiritually on their faith. By faith, these men and women accomplished great things, but you could argue for our purposes this morning that by faith, these great men and women of Hebrews chapter 11, by faith they were focused upon the goal.

Which of these men or women in chapter 11, could you say was not focused upon spiritual matters, upon the goal? So after giving us that list of focused spiritually faith-based people, he gives us this caution in Hebrews chapter 12. Therefore, beginning in verse 1, therefore, we also, since we’re surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. The sin which so easily ensnares us. Not the way sin is.

Speaking of the distraction of sin, the Apostle Paul had a lot to say about the flesh and the spirit. And the enmity that exists between those two natures. And look what he says in Galatians 5, verses 16 and 17. He says, I say then, Galatians 5, verse 16, I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, for the flesh lust against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. There is that confliction that’s going on between us, that battle that’s going on between the spirit and the flesh, so that we do not, and what he’s saying is the flesh is there, sin is there, trying to ensnare you and pull you back in.

And I recognize that both in Romans 7 and in our context here, that Paul says the ultimate conclusion is, is that we should put to death the flesh. And then it should no longer be that enticement or ensnarment or dare we say distraction to us. But the harsh reality of the Christian experience is that the putting to death of the flesh is not a one-time action, is it? It hasn’t been for me. Putting to death the flesh is like putting to death that villain in the horror movie that you kill the monster and it comes back to life. And it’s coming after you again, and you have to kill it again, and then there it is again. That’s the flesh. And it’s distracting, and Satan is constantly putting sin and temptation, enticing us back into the world, and distracting us from our spiritual focus.

2. Life Itself Can Distract Us

But you know, it doesn’t have to be that extreme, does it? Satan can distract us with just life itself. Even those things that we wouldn’t necessarily consider, that God wouldn’t consider as sinful as a violation of the will of God in and of itself, but life can distract you. And understand this before we start talking about the distraction that life itself present presents, Satan doesn’t care what it takes to pull you away from God as long as it works. And it doesn’t matter whether it was sin in its most heinous and ugly form, or whether it was just life that got in the way. If it takes you from God, you’re still away from God. And life has a way to get in the way, doesn’t it?

Life gets in the way of itself. Someone has aptly observed that we are busier now getting less accomplished than we’ve ever been. Do you ever feel that way? That life is just so busy. But we’re really not getting much progress accomplished. Satan would have you to think and to believe that if you could work more hours or get that second job, that maybe you can get that new car or that better house. Satan would have you to believe that if you can get your children involved in just one more program, that they’ll be more popular and more successful in life. Satan would have you believe that your friends just can’t survive without you. And so you’ve got to be with them every waking moment of the day.

You know, life has a way of just distracting us. Think about the story. We won’t have to turn over there in the Gospels, but you remember the story of Martha and Mary. Think about the Lord coming into your house. And that one sister who was, the text says that she was distracted with much serving. And the Lord would say to that sister that Mary, the one who had put aside all of the distractions and just sat down at the feet of Jesus. Jesus said, Mary has chosen the good part. Look with me at the story that Jesus told of the parable of the sower. Look over in Matthew chapter 13. Parable of the sword, very familiar to us. But look at just one of those type of soils.

In Matthew chapter 13. You remember the story, the parable of the sower is a seed, is scattered and falls upon these four different types of soils. Only one of those, I think it could clearly be said, is simply outright rejected the gospel. The other three, to some degree or another, accepted the gospel. But notice what it says of one of those that to some degree accepted the gospel, but yet not enough, not fully. Matthew chapter 13. Look at verse 22. Now he who received the seed among the thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word. And he becomes unfruitful. If we have the picture of this parable of three of these or people who didn’t obey the gospel, and the one good soil is the one who obeyed the gospel, comes to church and has his name in the directory.

We’ve mistaken, I think, the importance of what he’s saying. Here’s someone who has, quote, obeyed the gospel. Their name’s in the church, local church directory. They’re a part of the group to some degree, but they’re not fruitful. They’re still a plant. They’re still seemingly alive, but they’re not getting anything accomplished. Why aren’t they getting anything accomplished spiritually? Why aren’t they producing the fruit for God? Because they’re distracted. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. And when we think about that, we hear the words of our Lord echoing in our ears. You cannot serve two masters. That’s just a reality. Why don’t we believe our Lord? You cannot serve two masters. Life can distract you. The day to day mundaness and triviality of the demands of life can get you so focused upon the cares of this world and even the deceitfulness of riches that you’re just unfruitful.

3. Goodness Can Distract Us

Another thing that can distract us, and this one may come as a little bit of a surprise to you. We understand, yes, sin can easily ensnare us and pull us away from a fellowship with God. Life itself, experience has taught us, on top of what the scriptures say, that life itself can distract us. But there’s something else that can distract us. And that is goodness can distract us. Now that seems a little odd, doesn’t it? I know how sin can distract me. I know how just the regularness of life can distract me, but how can goodness, if you think about it, the New Testament is full of examples of people who allowed goodness to distract them from being what they really needed to be.

The priest and the Levite. Priest and Levite, by nature of those titles, says they were involved in some kind of goodness, some kind of religiosity. And maybe they let that goodness distract them. I’m on my way to the temple. I’m on my way to fulfill my services for God at the temple and the offering of sacrifices and the burning of incense and the preparing of the items from worship. I don’t have time to be distracted with helping my fellow man. They were distracted by goodness and not allowed to be what they really needed to be. I think about the rich young ruler who said to Jesus, all of these things I’ve done from my youth. He was good, wasn’t he?

But that goodness distracted him from a full devotion to Jesus Christ. I think about the Pharisee who prayed smugly and arrogantly. That I’m thankful I’m not like others like this publican. I fast, I give of my meaning. See those good things. And he took some solace, albeit false, some solace in the fact that he was doing these good religious things. And you know what Satan had done? Satan had distracted him with those good things. To say that that’s all you need to do. No more. Look at some passage of scripture that maybe reflect upon this. In James chapter 1. We focus on the last part of this phrase, but I want to focus on the first part of the phrase in James 1, verse 26. James is going to talk about bridling the tongue and the importance of doing that.

James 1, verse 26. But notice how he starts out that. James 1, verse 26. If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this one’s religion is useless. Do you see the person that James is describing? Someone who is religious, who thinks he is religious, but hasn’t bridled his tongue. Maybe he thinks he doesn’t have to. Because I’ve got this other stuff going. I’m religious. I’m doing these things. Maybe it’s like the church at Laodicea that Jesus says, you say I am rich and of need of nothing. I don’t know that he’s talking about spiritually. I mean, physically, materially, they thought they were rich, and that was going to buy their way into heaven. They may have thought that in some spiritual level they were rich and had need of nothing.

But Jesus said, in reality, you are wretched and naked and blind and poor. You see how they had let the good distract them from their greater devotion to the Lord. And so we get passages such as this. Look over in 2 Peter chapter 1. Of Peter’s admonition. Maybe Peter is admonishing us not to be content, not to be distracted by thinking we’re religious or even being religious. Look what he says in 2 Peter chapter 1. After saying that we have escaped the corruption that is in this world through lust, look what he says in 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 5. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence. Add to your faith, virtue. And then add to your virtue knowledge. And then add to your knowledge self-control.

And add to your self-control perseverance. And then add to your perseverance godliness. And then add to your godliness brotherly kindness. And then when you’ve done that, add to your brotherly kindness love. Do you see where we might be distracted even by good where if we just said, you know, I’ve got faith. So I’m good. But Peter says, no. You’ve still got some work to do. Don’t be distracted by thinking, okay, you know, I obeyed the gospel 20, 30, 40 years ago. I go to church. We can be distracted by sin itself. We can be distracted by life. We can even be distracted by being good. And failing to grow and add to our faith and to build upon those things that the Lord has given us.

4. Practical Helps to Be Less Distracted

We need to understand the grave danger in distractions. And so let’s talk about some practical helps here. Some things that maybe we can do to help ourselves to be less distracted and more focused. Let’s start by going to 1 Peter chapter 4 and in verse 7. I think we have to start here when we talk about dealing with these distractions. 1 Peter 4, verse 7. Notice the language. Peter says, but the end of all things is near.

Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayer. There’s where we start with the distractions, isn’t it? Be serious. And maybe it’s time for you and I to finally get serious about this thing that we call Christianity. To really be serious about this, to quit playing around and quit just making this one of the many things that we do in life. But be serious about this and recognize this is what it’s all about. This is all that matters. Everything else is a distraction. And so I’m going to be focused. Maybe we need some jarring, life-changing event to bring us to that seriousness. Swerving into oncoming traffic. And almost hitting an 18-wheeler while you’re texting. Will cause you to put your phone down for a while at least, won’t it?

Because you think I need to be serious. I need to be focused upon what’s important here. And it’s time for us to be serious about spirituality. It’s time for us to be serious about our Lord and about the work that we need to be doing. Here’s where we begin. Remove or limit the distractions. That’s a simple but fundamental thing to do. If you’ve got things that are pulling you away from the Lord, then you’ve got too many things. And it’s time for you to eliminate some of them. Remove or limit the distractions. And in so doing, remember where your focus is. Make a list. Prioritize what’s most important. And if the Lord and your soul are not at the top of that list, then it’s time for you to get serious.

Exercise some discipline and self-control. That’s really what it’s about, isn’t it? That’s what it’s about putting the cell phone down when you’re driving. That’s what it’s about putting the cell phone down when you’re having dinner with your family. Is exercising some self-control. The person on the other end of that text will not die if you don’t respond instantly. Exercise some self-control and discipline. Practice it. Hear the chime and don’t move. Exercise some self-control and discipline in your spiritual life. Quit multitasking. That was the invention of the creation of the business world a few years ago, and they’ve learned that for most of us it doesn’t work. We end up doing a bunch of stuff poorly. That’s what we do when we multitask, and one of those multitask is Christianity.

If we end up doing all of them, including Christianity, poorly. Quit it. Focus. Get organized. Make a schedule. If you don’t have time right now for the study of the word, reading of the word and of prayer, make a schedule. That fancy phone has an app. Our 27 apps that have some kind of scheduling in it. That dean can be saying, not one of my friends is snapgramming me or saying something on the Facebook, but that dean can be a reminder, it’s time to pray. It’s time to turn the phone and everything off and study the word. Make a reminder. Make a schedule. Break up your routine of sameness. We get on this circle, this rat race that Solomon talks about in the book of Ecclesiastes of just running to the ocean and never filling it up.

Conclusion

Break it up sometime. Make some changes in your life, some changes in your schedule so that you can focus upon what’s most important. And then lastly, maybe you need to get away at times. Maybe you need to just make a break from what you’re doing. And say, I need to get away. I need to shut things off. I need to shut the world down, and I need to take a vacation. I need to take a day or two off. And focus. And remind myself what’s most important. We’re busier than ever. Doing less than ever. And that’s certainly true spiritually. I want to close with this illustration. I wasn’t the best of students in school. I didn’t hear a gasp of surprise. I wasn’t the best of students in school, and I can remember one time when the grade was right on the edge, and I needed to do real good on an assignment.

Real good on an assignment to pull my grade up to an acceptable level. So I studied harder than I ever studied. I worked harder on the assignment. I actually rewrote this assignment so that the penmanship would be better. I studied, I restudied, I checked my answers, turned in the paper. The teacher said, Chapman, I’ve got good news and bad news. Good news is you did a perfect score on the assignment. Problem is you did the wrong assignment.

How many of us on the day of judgment will realize we were so successful at the wrong thing? That we scored a hundred. But on the wrong assignment. The end of all things is at hand. Be serious. Would you become a Christian this morning? Put away the distractions of sin, the distractions of life, the distractions of everything. And focus on what’s most important. Why not become a child of God this morning? Maybe you’ve done that. Life, sin, even religion has gotten in the way and distracted you. Why not reorder your life this morning and say, it’s about time that I got serious? If we can help you and you respond to the gospel call as you get serious this morning, why not come? As together we stand and sing.