Your life is too precious, your calling too great, and your God too good to waste your life distracted on things that do not matter.
Sermon #1: DISTRACTIONS: THE ASSAULT ON OUR ATTENTION.
Sermon Series: SOUL SHIFTS
Scripture Text: Nehemiah 6
Sermon Notes:
NEHEMIAH 6:1-3 ESV
1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.
3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
- distraction | \ di-ˈstrak-shən \
- a pulling apart, separating, a drawing of the mind in different directions.
Your life is too precious, your calling too great, and your God too good to waste your life distracted on things that do not matter.
I. DISTRACTIONS WILL MAKE YOU THINK IT’S OKAY.
NEHEMIAH 6:1-2 ESV
1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.
- The promise of distractions:
- If you pay attention to me, I promise you’ll stop thinking about whatever you were thinking about.
NEHEMIAH 6:3 ESV
3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
II. DISTRACTIONS ARE RELENTLESS
NEHEMIAH 6:4 ESV
4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.
THE SHALLOWS: How the internet is changing the way we think, read and remember. –Nicholas Carr
- TL;DR
- too long; didn’t read
We live at the depth of the text, the swipe, and the thumbs up.
We are in love with distraction and it affects our very relationship with God.
You can’t give God your attention when your attention is constantly being targeted and taken captive … and you’re cooperating. – John Eldredge
III. DISTRACTIONS WILL DRAW YOU AWAY FROM GOD’S PURPOSE.
NEHEMIAH 6:5-9 ESV
5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
NEHEMIAH 6:3 ESV
3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
NEHEMIAH 6:15 ESV
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
Nehemiah said “no” to the lesser, because he was saying “yes” to the greater work of God.
NEHEMIAH 6:16 ESV
16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
SHIFT #1. BE AWARE OF YOUR NOISE.
- What is your noise?
PROVERBS 14:8 NLT
8 The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.
SHIFT #2. PAY ATTENTION TO GOD.
PSALMS 1:1-4 NLT
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
- Are we paying attention to God?
PSALMS 19:1-3 ESV
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
TWO SIMPLE SHIFTS:
1. Be aware of your noise.
2. Pay attention to God.
Your life is too precious, your calling too great, and your God too good to waste your life distracted on things that do not matter.