Dealing with Distraction
Youth Winter Retreat • Sermon • Submitted
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· 14 viewsWe have the destructive tendency to focus on the less important things at the expense of the eternally significant things.
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Distracted Driving
Distracted Driving
Statistics tell a story:
The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.
Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving.
1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.
The whole epidemic of distracted driving from cell phones is relatively new.
When I got my license I got lectured about not looking at my CD player or talking to my friends in the back seat.
When Debbie got hers it was making sure the horse was watered and fed before the went to town.
There have always been distractions that keep us from focusing on the MAIN THINGS the MOST IMPORTANT things.
No one here would argue that reading that text message or responding with and “OK” is worth yours or someone else’s life.
But we still make the choice to look and the choice to respond.
Distracted driving is just one area of many in our lives that distract us from the things that are more or most important.
And that is one of the reasons we are here this weekend, to get away from the distractions and take some time to focus on the things that really matter, that are MOST important.
Distracted by the Important
Distracted by the Important
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
38-
Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus are important figures in the life of Jesus.
There are 3 main accounts of their interactions with Jesus, this being the first, and the most significant and well-know being when Lazarus is raised from the dead in .
This is the first time we are introduced to this family in Bethany.
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
Martha was the one in charge of the house, she had the responsibility to take care of the guests, the most important being Jesus.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
Her sister, Mary,
Luke introduces us to Mary in the next verse.
Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet “listening to His teaching”
You get a pretty good idea of the personalities of Mary and Martha from the three accounts in the bible.
Mary is always the emotional, spiritually attuned one.
Martha is always the busy, controlling, quick to talk one.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
Luke
Did you catch the word there: “Martha was DISTRACTED with much serving”
No one in this room would ever argue that “serving” is a bad thing
You might not like to serve and clean and such, but no one would say it is a bad thing to do.
The problem with Maratha is the good thing she was doing had “distracted” her from the greater thing that was in front of her.
Distracted by Good things
Distracted by Good things
We are a lot like Martha, we are distracted by good things, not necessarily bad things.
Your parents and adults like us have a tendency to make statements that belittle your generation
“All they do is play on their phones”
“They never go outside, just play video game all the time”
“When I was their age I had a job, didn’t have a cell phone…”
Adults can make the things of the current generation seem almost evil compared to their generation.
But the reality is video games are not bad, cell phone are not evil, social media isn’t a sin, and Netflix isn’t of the devil.
But even though these things are not bad, in and of themselves, they do become distractions in our lives.
It isn’t just entertainment though, you guys are busier in some ways that any generation before you:
School work is busier
Sports and school activities take up more time than ever
Social media opens you up to communication 24 hours a day (we used to have to wait for the phone to be available to talk to our friends).
Digital media is available in the palm of your hand.
You can learn about ANYTHING within seconds by just talking to a device.
We are bombarded by busy, inundated by the important, overwhelmed by opportunity, dominated by decisions.
And for that reason, we, YOU, are distracted.
How we are distracted
How we are distracted
Here are some common things that distract us.
1) Acceptance- trying to fit in
1) Acceptance- trying to fit in
trying to fit in has alway been a distraction.
We want to be liked, accepted, connected to others.
Again, this is not a bad thing, rather it is a very HUMAN thing.
We were created by God for community.
The problem is we get distracted by the desire to be accepted.
This isn’t as much about the way we use our time as it is the way we spend our emotional energy.
We long for like
We change ourselves in order to fit in.
We compromise our integrity to be approved
We give ourselves to things, both good and bad, so we don’t stand out, or so we will stand out.
The bible calls this the fear of man
It means we care more about what others think of us than what God thinks of us.
We fear rejection from man, more than being rejected by God.
We are defined more by what others think of us than what GOD thinks of us.
2) Entertainment and Media
2) Entertainment and Media
The world we live in is defined by the NEWEST thing.
Newest show
Newest game
Newest app
Newest tech
Newest trend
There is a since that if we don’t stay UP then we are going to miss something.
College speech about Netflix
Pete Davis talked about browsing through Netflix
“Keeping out options open” defining characteristics of our culture.
Because of all that is available to us we become INCREDIBLY distracted by all the options.
We become increasingly dissatisfied with the options as more options become available.
In a world of unlimited options, we have to stop feeling like we are going to MISS something and look to embrace the things that really MATTER.
3) Success and Accomplishment
3) Success and Accomplishment
Whether it is school or athletics, band, beta, or something else, we are distracted by being successful.
We spend lots of time, money, attention, and anxiety on being successful.
Again, this isn’t a bad thing, but when it becomes an ultimate thing is distracts us from the things that really matter.
Paying Attention
Paying Attention
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
luke 10
We are anxious and troubled by many things.
Stressed and stretched to the point we don’t really know what is most important.
You might be tired and don’t even realize it.
But there is hope
42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Only ONE THING IS NECESSARY
Martha get it later
Martha get it later
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Martha served while Mary poured our the expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet
This was a family decision and you don’t hear Martha arguing.
She had understood what is MOST important, knowing and follow Jesus.
What is distracting you?
What is distracting you?
Write down 3-5 things you are most distracted with in your life write now.
What do you most want to get out of this weekend?
In what way do you want to grow closer to Jesus during this weekend?
Small Group Discussion
Small Group Discussion
What are some examples of distractions that get in the way of your relationship with
God?
Do you find it hard to focus on God in everyday life? Why or why not? Explain.
What are some ways you stay focused on God?
What is God doing in your life right now?
What do you most want to get out of this weekend?
How can we pray for you?