I want to share something with you, some
thoughts that has come to my own heart
in this past week.
And that is about an addiction.
Now get your minds working there.
I hope you are paying attention.
The addiction of distraction.
Somebody has called it the distraction addiction.
Even to get my thoughts together, there have
been so many things that have happened in
the last few days, and particularly yesterday, to
distract me from what God is primarily saying
to me.
So what I am sharing with you is
what God has been speaking to me about
distraction.
And somebody has said in the magazine Christianity
Today, that the issue of ministering to an
overwhelmed and distracted culture is one of the
greatest challenges of today's Christian church.
You got that?
The issue of ministering, and that's not just
speaking from the pulpit, but even in our
personal relationship with one another.
To an overwhelmed and distracted culture is one
of the greatest challenges for today's church.
I would add to that, therefore, what Peter
says, we need the prophetic word, made more
sure as a lamp shining in a dark
place, until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your hearts.
Where the morning star, where Christ takes over
completely my mind, my attention, that I have
the mind of Christ.
And the message Bible puts that word very
well, 2 Peter 1, verse 19.
The prophetic word was confirmed to us.
You'll do well to keep focusing on it.
It's the one light you have in a
dark time.
I like that.
It's the one light you have in a
dark time as you wait for daybreak, and
the rising of the morning star in your
hearts.
Christ in you, the hope of glory, that
is the morning star.
So therefore, what has come to me, we
have to take up this fight against addiction.
It's worse than drugs, worse than alcohol, worse
than pornography.
When you really think about it, distraction.
We get so easily distracted, and the Bible
is literally full of incidents where God could
not accomplish his purpose, because his people or
his servants allowed the devil to distract them.
And I think that even as I'm speaking
now, some of you are distracted.
You're thinking of things that have happened yesterday,
last week, and things that may happen in
the future.
And that is why when we hear the
word in the church, it doesn't bear fruit
in our lives.
Or if it does, it's probably very less,
even less than 30%.
But I hope that the Holy Spirit will
get your attention this morning, because it's spoken
to my heart, and I want to work
on it.
I look at it as weeds that come
up in the garden, that we don't pluck
them out by the root in the beginning,
they begin to spread, until the whole garden
gets taken over by weeds, and that's our
mind.
That's exactly what can happen to us if
we don't deal with this addiction, the addiction
of distraction.
And like I said, the Bible is full
of incidents where God could not accomplish his
purpose, because his people or his servants chose
or allowed themselves to be distracted.
That's why Jesus spoke about Mary to Martha.
Only one thing is necessary, and Mary has
chosen it.
Martha, you're distracted about many things.
I wonder whether the Lord has to say
that to you and me this morning.
Put your name there.
I know you said that to me.
You're distracted about many things.
Only one thing is necessary.
Mary has chosen it.
It's a choice, my brothers and sisters.
It's not positive thinking.
It's a choice, and it's a daily choice,
it's a moment-by-moment choice.
I choose not to allow the devil to
distract me, to shift my focus of what
God has for me in this one life
on earth.
And Paul was so burdened that he wrote
1 Corinthians 7, many things there about marriage,
and even if you're married.
And he says there in 1 Corinthians 7,
verse 35, I want you to look at
that word.
It's a good word that we can always
keep before us.
1 Corinthians 7, verse 35, he speaks about
marriage and those who want to get married,
and those who want to remain unmarried, and
many things like that.
But he says here in 1 Corinthians 7,
verse 35, he says, I say this for
your own benefit, not to put a restraint
upon you, but to promote what is appropriate
and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
You see that there?
Paul was gripped with that.
Paul himself knew.
But I tell you that we have two
wonderful examples in Jesus and Paul.
They refused not to let themselves get distracted
from what God had for their life on
earth.
And I want that we really take it
seriously, my brothers and sisters, to deal, first
of all, acknowledge it's an addiction.
I have acknowledged before God, Lord, I am
addicted.
Like I said, worse than any other addiction.
And we need to be cured.
Otherwise, we'll be destroyed.
We'll miss God's purpose that God has for
us in this one life.
In verse 32 of that 1 Corinthians 7,
he says, I want you to be free
from concern.
I want you to be free from concern.
I want to secure undistracted devotion to the
Lord.
And he was afraid, you know, what would
happen to the church in Corinth.
He says in 2 Corinthians, you can turn
to that word, 2 Corinthians in chapter 11,
a word that we have heard very often
here.
He says there in verse 2, he says,
I'm jealous for you with a godly jealously.
For I betrothed you to one husband so
that to Christ I might present you as
a pure virgin.
But I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived
Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be
led astray from the simplicity and purity of
devotion to Christ.
Your minds will be led astray.
You know, when you're led astray, it's gradual.
You don't notice it.
That's what distraction is.
It's gradual.
It slowly moves us away and shifts our
focus to other things.
And usually it's things of the earth.
And we lose out on what God wants
to do in our lives.
So he says here, he says, I'm afraid
as a serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,
your minds will be led astray.
Eve was led astray.
She allowed the devil to distract her and
deceive her by his craftiness.
Did God say?
He aimed for her mind.
Did God really say you should not eat
from every tree of the garden?
And that's where she began to go astray.
She entered into a conversation with Satan.
And that's how it is, my brothers and
sisters.
And that's how the devil can distract you
and me and shift our focus every day.
And we don't notice it.
The children of Israel, they got distracted when
they saw the giants.
Two men were focused, Joshua and Caleb.
The rest, the majority allowed themselves to be
distracted.
And literally blinded them.
They missed God's purpose for their life.
They perished.
They died in the wilderness.
Only Joshua and Caleb made it through.
It's always a minority.
The devil used Peter to try and distract
Jesus from going the way of the cross.
Because his mind was set on man's interest
and not on God's interest.
And so Jesus had to say to him,
get behind me, Satan.
Because your mind is set on man's interest
and not on God's interest.
Remember that, my brothers and sisters.
If my mind is set on God's interest,
then the devil has a hold.
And he can easily move me away and
steer me away from the purpose and path
that God has for your life and mine.
When we set our mind on man's interest.
We have to do our jobs.
We go to work.
Your sisters have to do work in the
home.
Send your children to school and many things.
Keep home and look after your husband, your
children.
Many things all of us have to do.
Like we heard Brother Zach say.
Should be like a rubber band.
We do it, we're back again.
In focus.
But I'm sorry to say that rubber band
becomes slack.
Like rubber bands.
After a period of time they become slack.
So they don't go back.
That's what happens with most of us.
And the devil succeeds in distracting us.
From whatever it is, it's daily things.
You know you can decide, no I must
write that email.
And so many other things.
You open the internet.
And your attention is taken up here, taken
up there.
Something interesting comes up.
You got all these things popping up.
You decide to go and maybe help somebody
who is discouraged.
But you put it off.
There are other things, other things that occupy
attention.
All the time, every day.
24 by 7.
This is the battle we are fighting.
It's an addiction.
If I acknowledge it's an addiction.
And I have to deal with it.
And I have to be cured of this
addiction.
Then there is hope.
Demas, he was distracted.
He loved the present world, Paul says.
And he deserted Paul.
He missed God's purpose altogether.
Somebody has said, who has written a book
on distraction addiction.
He says, one of the devil's greatest tools
is distraction.
It's a devastating weapon.
The devil may smile every time we disobey
God blatantly.
But he is just as pleased when he
lures us into meaningless distraction.
And he says, distraction is the enemy of
focus and clarity.
Two components necessary to lead a spiritual life
or to lead a godly life.
Distraction is the enemy of focus and clarity.
Clarity means you see things clearly.
To be focused.
Distraction is the enemy of both these two
components, he says.
Necessary to live a godly life.
And he goes on to say, is there,
I wonder, any great thing that can be
done when you are constantly distracted.
Can distracted people change the world?
Write the great American novel.
Solve big problems.
Deepen their faith.
I think not.
Which is one reason I wrote the book.
Distraction.
Addiction.
The battle is for our minds, my brothers
and sisters.
Let's recognize that.
The devil is not so much interested in
leading you into some gross sin like adultery.
Or pornography, if you are not indulging in
it.
He is not all the time trying to
get you there, even though you may go
to the internet.
The devil's greatest tool, which he uses very
successfully, is distraction.
I have come to recognize it.
But like I said, I have begun to
see it as weeds.
Which have to be plucked out root by
root.
Otherwise they grow again.
And I have been crying out to God,
Lord help me.
David in Psalm 50 says, I am solely
distracted.
Because he faced a problem with his enemies
there.
And is that the case with some of
us?
We are solely distracted.
Things that have happened, things that we think
are going to happen.
We think about our children.
We think about what the future is going
to be.
And so many things we worry about.
And we don't take worry and anxiety seriously.
And so we get distracted.
This man who wrote this book, Alex Bang,
says, Connection is inevitable.
Distraction is a choice.
Connection is inevitable.
Apply it to anything, not only to the
internet.
Connection is inevitable.
But distraction is a choice.
And in everyday, everything, we connect with people,
we connect different things.
It's inevitable, we get connected.
But distraction is a choice.
I make that choice.
And I have to choose.
I am not going to allow the devil
to distract me.
The memory verse that God has begun a
good work in you and me.
And he will complete it.
But God can be hindered because I am
distracted.
Do you know that?
I can't just hold on to that word
and say that God has begun a good
work in me and he will perfect it,
he will not leave it incomplete.
God will say to me on that day,
I wanted to complete the work in you.
But you were so distracted.
You were so distracted about many things.
I couldn't complete what I started in you.
Do you recognize that, my brothers and sisters?
Let's not deceive ourselves.
We can have virtual reality.
We are in an illusion.
God has promised, he has begun a good
work in me, he will complete it.
He will not let me drown.
He will not leave it unfinished.
But the Lord will say to me on
that day, I wanted to complete that work
in you.
But you were so distracted.
May it not be, my brothers and sisters.
We have the scriptures to guide us, to
get us focused.
And Jesus is the best example.
I want you to look at this.
I want you to think of two scriptures.
Isaiah 50.
Jesus as an example of focus.
Not getting distracted.
And Philippians 3.
Paul.
Two excellent examples.
And here is what the Holy Spirit says
about Jesus in Isaiah 50.
Listen to it.
We have heard it many times, this word.
But now think of it in time.
In context of what we are talking about.
Of being distracted.
You will see it here.
So verse 4.
Isaiah 50 verse 4.
The Lord God has given me the tongue
of disciples.
That I may know how to sustain the
weary one with the word.
He awakens me morning by morning.
He awakens my ear to listen as a
disciple.
The Lord God has opened my ear and
I was not disobedient.
Nor did I turn back.
I gave my back to those who strike
me.
And my cheeks to those who pluck out
the beard.
This is Jesus.
I did not cover my face from humiliation
and spitting.
For the Lord God helps me.
Therefore, I am not disgraced.
Therefore, and this is the word I want
to underline for us.
Therefore, I have set my face like flint.
And I know I will not be ashamed.
He who vindicates me is near who will
contend with me.
Let us stand up to each other who
has a case against me.
And Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus.
I have set my face as a flint.
We read in the gospels.
I can't remember the reference.
That the disciples were so scared when they
saw Jesus so focused.
Set to go to Jerusalem.
He set his face steadfastly to go to
Jerusalem.
And that's what Isaiah prophesied about him.
I have set my face like a flint.
Flint is a stone.
A sharp stone.
So sharp.
You can cut.
They made knives in the stone age with
flint stone.
I have set my face as a flint.
I know I will not be ashamed.
That's how it must be with you and
me.
I will not be ashamed.
I will be focused.
I have set my face as a flint.
Paul, like I said, is another excellent example.
Look at Philippians 3.
When you get time, I would encourage you
to meditate on these two passages of scripture.
I really believe it will help us to
pluck out the weeds.
To get focused.
Philippians 3, verses 7 to 14.
Paul says there, Whatever things were gained to
me, Those things I have counted as loss
for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things to
be loss.
In view of the surpassing value of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, For whom I have
suffered the loss of all things.
Notice that there.
All things as loss.
And not just in his mind, he counted
everything as loss.
He said, I have suffered the loss of
all things.
It's one thing to think about these things
and to preach about it.
But it's another thing when we face the
reality to suffer the loss of all things.
And he says, count them but rubbish, but
dogs dung.
So that I may gain Christ.
May be found in him not having a
righteousness of my own derived from the law.
But that is which is through faith in
Christ.
The righteousness which comes from God on the
basis of faith.
That I may know him and the power
of his resurrection.
And the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed
to his death.
In order that I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained it.
Or have already become perfect.
But I press on.
You know, he is focused.
I press on so that I may lay
hold of that which also I was laid
hold of by Christ.
Not an illusion, it's not a mirage.
It's real.
I press on because Christ has laid hold
of me for something.
So I press on.
He says, brethren, I don't regret myself as
having laid hold of it yet.
But one thing I do.
Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to
what lies ahead.
I press on toward the goal for the
prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
What a man.
I hope we are challenged.
What we read in Isaiah 50 and what
we read in Philippians 3.
About Jesus and about Paul.
Men who were focused.
Never allowed the devil to distract them.
Paul was willing to lose all his co
-workers.
And I thank God that we have our
brother now, Mitch, as an example.
Not just Jesus and Paul, but brother Zach.
I've seen it.
Focused.
Not easy to find men like that, my
brothers and sisters.
And we don't value them when they live
among us.
Men who are focused.
Who are willing to suffer the loss of
all things.
Not just willing, but we've seen it.
And like Paul, Paul was willing to lose
even if he had to stand alone.
He says, the Lord stood by me and
strengthened me.
That's how focused we must be.
And it's not just Jesus and Paul and
brother Zach.
It's you and me.
Do we think it's only for such ones?
God wants to raise up many more among
us.
For this next generation.
Young men and young women who are focused.
Will not allow the devil to distract them.
Who are so full of the Holy Spirit.
God has spoken powerfully to my heart.
And I tell you, it was a challenge
putting my thoughts together.
I was so distracted.
I cried to the Lord.
Lord, I'm distracted.
I know you're saying something to me.
And I want to share it with my
brothers and sisters.
There are so many things that are distracting
me.
Please help me.
And I believe, He will help me.
And He will help you.
A lot of things that distract you, my
brothers and sisters.
A lot of things that happen in your
home.
In your life.
Things with your family, with your wife, with
your children.
And you're distracted.
Like Jesus said, You're so distracted about many
things.
One thing.
Only one thing is necessary.
Mary has chosen it.
Will you make that choice, my brothers and
sisters?
I've made mine.
And God helping me, I want to keep
it.
To listen.
That's what He said.
To Martha, You're distracted about many things.
Only one thing is necessary.
Can we put that before us all the
time?
Only one thing is necessary.
Mary has chosen it.
So how do we fight distraction?
Here we have examples.
And thank God we have some examples in
our midst.
Let's follow them.
Let's pray and ask the Lord to give
us the Holy Spirit in all His fullness.
Like in the beginning.
It drives me to tears.
To say, Lord, we are drifting.
It's not like it was in the beginning.
It really breaks my heart when I see,
Lord, where are we heading as a church?
We're just gathering people who are distracted about
many things.
Who are not gripped like it was in
the beginning.
With a few of us.
May the Lord bring a revival, my brothers
and sisters.
May God touch your heart and touch your
spirit and mind.
Revive us.
We are drifting.
The devil is leading us astray from simplicity
and purity of devotion to Christ.
Recognize it.
Our minds are being led astray.
He's not leading us into some gross sins.
I tell you, it is something that he
wants to do in CFC.
Is to lead our minds astray from simple,
pure devotion to Christ.
Getting us occupied with many other things.
So, firstly, it has to do with our
minds.
The four things I want to share with
you, quickly.
It has to do with our minds.
We have to set our minds on God's
interests and not man's.
We have to do what the Holy Spirit
tells us to do.
We have to not be conformed to this
world but be transformed by the renewing of
our minds.
That's the only way.
It's not positive thinking.
It's not hearing a message and hearing things
like this.
And I'm going to decide, I'm going to
set my mind on God's interests.
I tell you, my brothers and sisters, you
walk out of the door, you'll fail.
I recognize that the only way is to
let the Holy Spirit come upon me.
Like he did in the beginning.
And continue changing me like he did in
the beginning.
Changing my mind, renewing my mind.
Helping me not to let the world squeeze
me into its mold.
Not be conformed to the world but to
be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
That I may, like it says in Romans
12 too, that's what I'm quoting.
Improve what the acceptable will of God is,
that which is good and perfect.
Acceptable, good and perfect.
Only the Holy Spirit can do that.
And if I let the Lord begin today,
I will get focused again.
I'll be gripped again like it was in
the beginning.
And I want to do that at least
in my life.
I don't know how much time I have
left.
But Lord, I said, I want to come
back.
Come back to that first love, come back
to that place where nothing else mattered.
We just wanted to live for you and
serve your purpose.
Jesus at 12 years said, I must be
about my father's business.
He told his parents at 12 years.
I must be about my father's business.
See how early he got focused.
You young people.
Some of you, I think they're going to
Sunday school.
Maybe they're still there.
Sunday school children are here.
You 12 year olds, you can get focused.
Jesus at your age, if you're 12, said,
I must be about my father's business.
Do you not know that I must be
about my father's business?
It challenges me.
That's how he grew up.
You teenagers, will you let the Holy Spirit
take hold of your mind?
Don't just wait to get into that tank.
But before you get into the tank, say,
Lord Jesus, baptize me in the Holy Spirit
and fire.
Change me.
I don't need to get into that tank.
You can do it before I get into
that tank and be baptized.
It's good to obey the Lord in the
waters of baptism.
But Lord, I need the baptism of the
Holy Spirit.
Desperately.
I want to say to you, those of
you who are planning to be baptized.
Otherwise, you're just going to add to this
number.
You will just add to the whole lot
of number of people who are distracted.
I want to tell you, I really believe
that most of us, very few among us,
have really taken it seriously to fight distraction,
to fight this addiction.
And if you've never seen it as addiction,
I hope you'll see it this morning.
An addiction that you need to overcome, that
you need to be free from.
Worse than any other addiction that you can
think about.
I have no doubt about it.
Since I've got light on this.
And since God has been speaking to me.
It's the devil's greatest tool.
That he's using very successfully among God's people.
I'm not talking about all the nominal Christians.
I'm talking about God's people.
God's family.
Who is Jesus speaking to?
A family.
To Martha, who are disciples.
You are distracted about many things.
Only one thing is necessary.
That's the second thing.
Choose the only one thing necessary.
It's a choice.
It's not something that I decide, yes, I
think that I will do that.
I have to make a choice.
And I tell you, my brothers and sisters,
it's not just in this meeting.
When you walk out through that door, there
are choices that you're going to have to
make.
To choose the one thing necessary.
You cannot do anything about yesterday.
You made wrong choices.
You cannot do anything about last year.
You failed, you messed up.
You can do something about today.
You can't do anything about tomorrow.
But today is the day of salvation.
Today, if you hear my voice, God says,
don't harden your heart.
Today, when God speaks to me as I
go out from church today, that's not necessary.
You can do that some other time.
I want you to listen to me.
I tell you, my brothers and sisters, if
we really take that seriously, God can do
work in a very short time in your
life and mine.
We can contribute.
We can stem, if I were to use
the word stem, the decay and corruption that
is entering CHC.
We can stem it.
If we are willing to choose the one
thing necessary.
In our use of the internet, these social
websites, you hear God speak to you?
Messaging, whatsapp messages, back and forth, back and
forth.
And good morning, you get a message.
Something nice, some verses of scripture.
I have to tell one sister, please, I
don't have time to read those.
Stop sending it to me and wake me
up at two o'clock in the morning,
because she is in some other country.
And we think we are serving God, we
are fulfilling God's purpose.
Sending these messages, these texts, wasting time, meaningless.
You know, this is what this man said
in Christianity today.
He says, he discusses another problem, minor distractions,
constant tweeting, text messages, calendar reminders, anxiety laced
news, take us away from the stillness needed
to seek God.
You realize that?
You think, yeah, I am sending something scriptural,
I am sending a promise.
God says, I want to speak to you.
Will you choose the one thing necessary?
You can send that afterwards.
I have something to say to you.
Jesus said to Simon, I have something to
say to you.
Quick to judge that woman.
Simon, I have something to say to you.
God says to you and me, I have
something to say to you.
Just stop for a moment.
Don't get distracted.
Choose the one thing necessary, my brothers and
sisters.
To listen.
Listen as a disciple.
That word we read in Isaiah 50, it
says, The Lord God has opened my ear.
In Psalm, that's from Psalm 40, The Lord
has pierced my ear.
To listen.
And you go back to an incident in
the Old Testament, where a slave after he
served seven years, and he could be free,
said, no, I don't want to go.
I love my master, I love my wife
and my children, I want to stay.
And it was the Lord in that time,
he's taken to the door post of his
master's house, and his ear was pierced with
an awl.
You know what the shoemaker uses to stitch?
With an awl, his ear was pierced.
Now they do it with a gun.
And ladies as well as men, want to
wear these things for whatever reason, I don't
know.
It's okay for ladies, but I don't know
why men have to have it.
It really perplexes me.
I don't know, left ear, right ear, left
ear something, right ear something.
Oh, I tell you, all kinds of things.
Let's get our ears pierced by the Holy
Spirit, my brothers and sisters.
I want mine pierced.
So I can listen as a disciple.
And be focused.
That's the third thing.
Stay focused.
Paul says, one thing I do.
Forget what lies behind.
Reach forward, press forward to what is before.
Like I said, you cannot do anything about
yesterday.
Don't worry about tomorrow.
Worry and anxiety are sins, that you and
I have to constantly confess and repent of.
That's the only way I get victory.
From worry and anxiety.
You can't do anything about tomorrow by worrying.
About next year, about your children's future, marriage,
all these things.
Why do you worry?
Like that song says, when you can pray.
One thing, forget what lies behind.
Be free from concern.
Press on, Paul says, toward the goal, for
the prize of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus.
And the last thing, we must have clarity.
I told you, distraction robs us of focus
and clarity.
In fulfilling the purpose of God for our
lives.
To have clear vision.
To see all things clearly.
Not men as trees walking.
Lord, I want to see clearly.
Touch me a second time if need be.
I want to see clearly.
To have clear goals and clear priorities.
And clear values.
Know who you are and where you're headed.
Who you are, I'm a son and a
daughter of the living God.
Lord God of heaven and earth we heard.
Father I can call him, but he's Lord
God of heaven and earth.
I know who I am and where I'm
heading.
That's what it is to have clarity.
And to be like what it says of
Jesus.
I'm not disgraced, I've set my face like
a flint.
I know I will not be ashamed.
And may God really help us, my brothers
and sisters.
I've shared with you what God has been
speaking to my heart.
Because like I said, we contribute to the
direction this church takes.
We have a whole lot of distracted people.
We will be a distracted church like we
see around us.
Many other things have taken the place.
Of what Jesus wants for his church.
And I will leave with you finally 1
Peter 1.13. A word that you can
think of.
I'll read it to you from the message
Bible.
It says, so roll up your sleeves.
Got it?
You're getting into action.
Put your mind in gear.
Be totally ready to receive the gift that's
coming when Jesus arrives.
Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves
of evil.
Doing just what you like doing.
You didn't know any better then, you do
now.
As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into
a way of life.
Shaped by God's life.
A life energetic and blazing with holiness.
As God said, I am holy, you be
holy.
That is God's purpose for your life and
mine.
Let's really seek God.
To be cured of this addiction.
Distraction.
Lord, begin this morning.
I yield my life to you.
Baptize me afresh with the Holy Spirit.
So that I can get focused.
I can be like you Lord Jesus.
I set my face like a flint.
So that you can fulfill, complete the work
that you have begun in my life.
But I will not have to say to
you at the end of my days.
I wanted it complete.
But you didn't let me.
You were distracted about many things.
You didn't choose the one thing necessary.
Will we make that choice now?
Maybe we can bow our heads for a
moment.
And if God has spoken to your heart.
Say Lord, I want to be cured of
this addiction.
I have been solely distracted.
Distracted about many things.
But I want to get focused.
From today.
I cannot do it in my own strength.
Give me the Holy Spirit.
Lord pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
as a church.
We need a renewal.
We need a baptism of fire.
I pray that you will meet with us.
Meet with me.
Because we have a needy world around us.
Help us to be like you.
Help us to be like the examples.
Of those who have accomplished your purpose.
We ask in Jesus name.
Amen.