“Distracted from distraction by distraction / Filled with fancies and empty of meaning / Tumid apathy with no concentration . . .” - T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets
Are you easily distracted? Do you get a sense that distraction is a big part of our lives whether we know it or not, and whether we want it to be or not? And, what’s wrong with being distracted? Well, in the above lines from T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets we get a sense of the sickness of which “distracted” is merely the symptom.
Distracted: Having the attention diverted. Render incapable of behaving in a normal manner.
We are at liberty to think our own thoughts, but our independent ideas, such as they may be, must live with thousands of ideas and notions inculcated by influential teachers or floated by "idea men," advertisers, communications people, columnists, anchormen, et cetera. We are constantly distracted by ideas and thoughts that lead us to negative distractions.
Today I want to talk about a positive distraction. Let me start by reading words of Jesus when he was talking about his mission
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
A. The Lost
In the latest global statistics they say that the population of Earth is now 7 billion people. About 2 billion of these people claim to be Christian. Not everyone that claims to be a Christian is truly a Christian. Maybe there is about 1 billion that are true followers (I don't know)
However let's take the statistics as true and there are 5 billion that are not followers of Christ. They are far from God and they are going to spend an eternity without God. If you were about to line them one by one that line would be all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, to China and it would circle the entire globe 34 times. This is how many lost people there are in the World this time.
What do you thing God things about that? As he looks down to the World he created he's got 2 billion kids that are found and are OK but there are 5 billion that are lost. Jesus came to seek and save that was wish was lost.
Seek and save means that we need to have a routine, something in our life that will drive us to direct our attention to those lost people.
Every single person is important to God!
Have you ever lost something of value?
If you look in the place where your keys are supposed to be and they are not there is because they are lost. People are lost because they are not in their right place in their relationship with God. Have you ever panicked over lost keys and someone helps you to find them. Have you ever lost your car?
When you loose something of value creates a distraction because you just focus in finding that thing that you've lost. If you ever lost a child you will never forget the panic and the stress of trying to find a son or a daughter that was lost. It's not that you are searching for a kid that is lost and stop and say "wait a minute I still have two other kids...I may just take care of the ones I still have." You don't do that because when you care for the lost you focused in finding your son. If you have friends you expect them to help you to find your kid.
The lost will always distract us from the ones that are already found.
Jesus is saying, "My mission is to seek and to save the lost". If you want God's attention you need to plug into this mission and be dedicated and focused to Jesus.
B. How to seek the lost
If we are on the same mission as Jesus we will be distracted from the saved and focus our attention to seek and save those that are lost. There is a seeking part that gets your attention diverted to those children that are far from Him and need to come back home.
Jesus illustrates this in a wonderful way in Luke chapter 15. He gave one parable with 3 aspects.
1. The lost sheep
2. The lost coin
3. The lost son
1. The Lost Sheep
A good shepherd even if he has 99 sheep that are found will go on a journey to seek and find that was lost. He is distracted because he knows the 99 are OK. Some people interpret this as having their pastor calling them if they don't come to Church but the true meaning of this Scripture is that we need to get distracted from the saved in order to focus our attention in finding the lost. There are still 5 billion people that are lost and we need to find them.
2. The lost coin
This woman looses a coin in the middle of the night and she is frantic. She is in panic and in fact the only way you would be able to get her attention is if you'll help her to find the coin. The Holy Spirit searches our hearts, he is never sleeping and is constantly searching for ways to convince you to come to the father.
3. The lost son
The parable of the prodigal son is were you see the love of the father that does not rest until the lost son comes back home.
Will you help Jesus to seek and find that was lost?
One of our challenges is that instead of being distracted for what is lost we're getting attracted for that wish is found. That's why we have so many Churches in decline and I don't want to speak negative of Churches but that's just the truth. Just in the United States the balance between churches that open and close every year is negative 3,000. When a church begins to decline is because they lost track of the reason why we are here. We need to stay true to the mission of seeking and saving that was lost. We need to be committed to shortening the line.
C. Keeping focus on the God-given mission
Many Churches convert into social clubs. Others get into political. When a Church goes inward it's game over. People become religious snobs and you get criticized if you don't talk like them or if you don't dress like them.
They pray, "Lord keep us happy and keeps fed keep us comfy in our beds. Keep us warm and keep us well, all the rest can go straight to hell"
I know that there aren't Christians that pray that, but what are our actions saying?
We need to be a "snob-free" zone and become a Church that reaches people.
Matthew 6:33 "but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these thing shall be added unto you" It doesn't say "seek ONLY" but it says, "seek FIRST".
Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore make disciples of all nations..." You go and I will make sure I am always with you. This is the tangible presence of God. If you focus your attention in seeking the lost he will be with you always.
If you want to see your desires come to place God says "help me take ground and I will take ground for you" This is the "God-first" life and implies a new mentality.
Psalm 37:4 "delight yourself also in the Lord and he shall give you the desires of your heart.
He doesn't say "delight yourself ONLY in the Lord" but he says "delight yourself ALSO in the Lord".
Stop focusing your time and energy in just accomplishing your desires but what God says is that if you focus in doing His desires he will bless you in ways that only God can do it.
Commitment = inconvenience
Thank you to all of you that serve in the different ministries. Thank you to all of you that work with children. Thank you for all of you that clean, to all of those that make South Shore an amazing community.
I've got God's attention because I am helping Him.
A God sized vision requires a Christ-like distraction. Our challenge is to know that we have desires, wants and needs but we are too attracted to what is already found. God want's to heal you, bless you and do all kinds of things in your lives.
It's easy to get so busy for Jesus that we no longer have time for Jesus, and it's easy to get so busy serving at the church that we don't have time for people. It’s easy to get distracted from the vision of seek and save that was lost.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
