When Interruptions Come

A. THINK ABOUT INTERRUPTIONS

Interrupt (v); (1) to break in, (2) to break off or cause to cease, (3) to stop in the middle of doing or saying something, (4) suspend temporarily or permanently, (5) to stop, hinder, obstruct, breaking in, etc.

1. Definition: An intrusion in your thinking or actions by another who wants to help or protect you, (2) to communicate with you, (3) wants something from you, (4) that they think you can provide.

2. For your benefit: will you listen, respond, and act?

3. For their benefit: do they want attention? Will they listen? Will they understand? Will they respond?

B. JESUS AND INTERRUPTIONS

1. You are not aware of the other’s presence. “At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was” (John 21:4, NLT). Have you ever been frustrated with failure?

a. Restore fellowship with Jesus. “None of the disciples dare ask him, ‘Who are you?’” (v. 12). They knew it was the Lord.

b. Let Jesus feed you. “Jesus served them bread and fish” (v. 13).

c. Let Jesus put you to work. “Then feed My sheep” (v. 17).

2. You are not presently aware of their need. “One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:5-6, NLT). Don’t miss your miracle because you make excuses.

a. Lonesome and alienated. “I have no one.”

b. Lack of ability. “To put me.”

c. Location.” “Into the pool.”

d. Occasion. When the water bubbles up.

e. Blame others. “Someone else always gets there.”

f. Time. “Ahead of me.”

3. Your thoughts and actions are focused elsewhere. “Roll the stone aside” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible” (John 11:39, NLT). Are you stuck in a dead end and can’t get out?

a. Make sure you have new life. “Jesus shouts, ‘Lazarus come out’” (11:43, NLT).

b. Get out of your hole “you know you’re in; you know you can’t get out by yourself, you know you need help.

c. Get help from godly men and women. “So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me” (John 11:41, NLT).

4. You have no idea why the other person interrupted you. “When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them” (Luke 7:37-38, NLT). Just interrupt Jesus to worship Him and tell Him you are grateful.

a. Gratitude is the least remembered of all virtues, but the acid test of your walk with God.

b. You will get His blessing and presence. “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” (Luke 7:47, NLT).

5. You have no idea what the other person needs/wants until they interrupt you. “So Jesus’ mother told Him, ‘They have no wine’” (John 2:3, NLT). What is lacking in your life that you should tell Jesus about?

a. Whatever you can do about it, do it. “Whatever He tells you do it” (James 2:5, KJV).

b. Prepare yourself spiritually. “Ezra prepared his heart to know the law of the Lord . . . and do it” (Ezra 7:10, KJV).

c. Ask Jesus. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, whatever ye shall ask, I will do it” (John 15:7, KJV).

C. REACTION TO INTERRUPTION

1. Embrace them. Jesus was constantly interrupted by Pharisees and followers.

2. Teaching moment for you and the other person. Martha was irritable because Mary wasn’t helping with the meal. “But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me’” (Luke 10:40, NLT).

3. If Jesus didn’t respond, we wouldn’t have stories (parables).

4. Don’t let interruptions make you side step God’s purpose in your life. “He (Jesus) steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

5. Can be caused by spiritual warfare. Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill. “We wanted very much to come to you . . . but satan prevented us” (1 Thess. 2:18).

6. Interruptions can be used to correct. Jesus corrects the rich young ruler, who went away sad. Peter quickly “brags” that “we’ve left our home to follow You” (Luke 18:28). Jesus corrects. “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come” (Luke 18:29-30, NLT).