Oblivion - Week 4
Oblivion • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsA focus on the importance of spiritual discipline in order to live a life in communion with God.
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SELFIE TIME!!
How many of you have a smart phone?
How many an iPhone? Android?
January 1, 2008. That’s the day I bought my first iPhone… It was the beginning of the end for me.
It led to some of the worst mistakes I’ve ever made.
It led to some of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made.
How many an iPhone? Android?
The phone is amoral. It isn’t good, it isn’t bad. I get to decide that. So, let’s just preface this by saying I love my phone. I love my ipad. I love my laptop. I love my technology. Ask anyone who knows me at all… I am a tech-head. I love it!
This whole series on OBLIVION has made me start thinking about how much we use our iPhones and just what do we spend our time on.
Work - 8.5 hours
Sleeping - 7.5 hours
School work (yes I’m in school) - 2 hours
Food - 3 hours (that includes cooking! … and deciding what to cook...)
Social Media/Netflix - .5 hours
Reading/news/paper - .5 hours
Reading - .5 hours
Rachel - 1 hours
Spiritual Disciplines - 1 hour
These are averages. Yes, I have friends that I spend time with. Yes, I do other things. Yes, sometimes I binge watch Netflix. All of these are averages.
I want to focus on the last one… “Spiritual Disciplines” I put that as one big lump some. That’s prayer, scripture reading, journaling, study, all that jazz…
I spend time reading scripture in the morning. However, sometimes, I am completely oblivious of time and will just get lost on Instagram and then it’s too late. I’ve got to go. Time for work. And poof, there went that time.
Most of the time, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, it’s a lack of discipline.
Most of the time, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, it’s a lack of discipline.
What does your day look like? How many hours of sleep do you get? Reading? Social Media?
I started to ask y’all do fill out a survey so I could know this… but I decided against that. Plus, you chose to come to church on a Wednesday night so you’re probably not the norm for teenagers anyways. So, I did some research.
Avg. 12th grader:
17 hours between school, sleeping, homework, and school activities
2.25 hrs texting (this is actually on the way down, declined avg. 13 min/day in past 4 years)
2 hours on internet
1.5 hours gaming (phone or console or PC)
.5 hours video chatting
.75 on TV (Netflix included)
that’s 24 hours… where’s the eating? Most are doing one of the above things while eating…
This blew my mind! Maybe I’m just old and out of touch… but these are the facts… We are just constantly surrounded by stuff! Information, media, this, that, EVERYWHERE!
I want you to know, I’m not speaking at you. Here’s what my average day looks like. My day is just as ridiculous as the next guys.
DYLAN DAY
Work - 8.5 hours
Sleeping - 7.5 hours
School work (yes I’m in school) - 2 hours
Food - 3 hours (that includes cooking! … and deciding what to cook...)
Social Media/Netflix - 1 hour
Reading/news/paper - 1 hour
Rachel - 1 hours
Spiritual Disciplines - 1 hour
These are averages. Yes, I have friends that I spend time with. Yes, I do other things. Yes, sometimes I binge watch Netflix. All of these are averages.
I want to focus on the last one… “Spiritual Disciplines” I put that as one big lump some. That’s prayer, scripture reading, journaling, study, all that jazz…
I spend time reading scripture in the morning. However, sometimes, I am completely oblivious of time and will just get lost on Instagram and then it’s too late. I’ve got to go. Time for work. And poof, there went that time.
Most of the time, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, it’s a lack of discipline.
Most of the time, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, it’s a lack of discipline.
Hi, my name is Dylan and I am undisciplined.
Hi, my name is Dylan and I am undisciplined.
I believe there are two primary reasons that I, and most of us, are undisciplined.
1) We are surrounded
1) We are surrounded
2) We are fallen
2) We are fallen
We are inundated with media, images, news, videos, filters, so many things!!!
Since we are surrounded, we get distracted
Since we are surrounded, we get distracted
Since we are distracted, we become oblivious
Since we are distracted, we become oblivious
Since we are oblivious, we don’t even think about it
Since we are oblivious, we don’t even think about it
Since we don’t even think about it, we aren’t disciplined
Since we don’t even think about it, we aren’t disciplined
2) We are fallen
2) We are fallen
Most of the time, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, it’s a lack of discipline.
Most of the time, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, it’s a lack of discipline.
Notice, I’m not questioning our desire to be closer to God. Or our desire to regularly spend time with Him.
You aren’t alone!
There’s a passage in Romans that illustrates the second reason PERFECTLY!
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Romans 7:15
So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Romans 7:17
This is Paul talking… You know, the guy who wrote half the NT...
Notice, I’m not questioning our desire to be closer to God. Or our desire to regularly spend time with Him.
These two reasons would be so easy to look at and say “well, that’s that. Sucks to suck.” And just stay in that rut.
Evan Gattis… He had every reason to quit. And now, he’s a world champion. A&M, Rice, the divorce, then anxiety and depression…
Shortest player to be included in an All-NBA Team.
Shortest player to play in an NBA All-Star game.
Shortest player to play in multiple All-Star games.
Shortest player to record a triple-double in a game.
It would have been so easy for him to make the excuse “I’m too short to play in the NBA and to have given up on Basketball, but he didn’t.
Let’s not make excuses. Let’s move forward.
There are MANY Spiritual Disciplines
Prayer, Scripture Reading, Journaling, Worship, Evangelism, Serving, Stewardship, Fasting, Silence and Solitude (meditation)
Scripture Reading
Journaling
Worship
Evangelism
Serving
Stewardship
Fasting
Silence and Solitude (meditation)
I’m only going to focus on one of MANY spiritual disciplines.
Scripture Reading
I choose this one because I firmly believe it fuels several of the others.
Why should we study scripture? What is scripture?
Scripture is the Word of God.
Scripture is the Word of God.
Seeing and understanding what Scripture is is vitally important… why would we want to study something if we thought it was just some book??
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Seeing and understanding what Scripture is is vitally important… why would we want to study something if we thought it was just some book??
Ok, so HOW do we begin to consistently read scripture?
Here’s what I do.... I use the Bible App. I know, super basic. There are TONS of great ones out there. I love this one because of the reading plans.
Establish a routine
You can have multiple plans going at once (I almost always have a couple)
when are you going to do it? morning? evening?
Do it with someone
Do a plan. Don’t just say, “let’s read the bible together.”
INVITATION:
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus desires to have a relationship with us!
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