Distinguishing Good and Bad Distractions, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer. It is hard to overestimate the unimportance of belief everything in your life.

Many of us are asking how can I do more, you ought to be asking my doing the right things change? What do more but my doing the things I'm supposed to be like after theologian Jeannie. As always, I'm your host Molly bit of edge there suffer from some amount that stands for fear of missing out. I know I sometimes do, or maybe always do that. The reality is that sometimes in order to be focused on what's most important to say no to something else we might want to do. Pastor Judy shows us today that distraction and the feeling of being overwhelmed and hurried often comes with being out of fellowship with Jesus and his priorities.

Today we conclude our short teaching series titled rest and distraction and make sure you listen all the way to the end where Pastor JD gives us a really helpful list of practical things that we can implement today here stating career with the message distinguishing good and bad distraction structured with good listen is one of our enemies. Primary and keeping you from considering the Jesus parable the seeds. It was good things that the enemy used to take away the seed that the swords put in the heart may know when I'm up here preaching on this and you get distracted by images of porn and thoughts of violence. It means that all the sudden, you'll start getting us to do list in your mind or somebody you need to talk to you. Go to lunch or some report that you got do. It's a good thing that the snatches away the word from your heart.

What would you think about what happened.

Now we've got designed a tool that gives Satan gives our enemy just unlimited access to take out the word of God. Anytime he wants to because not all of what people say about me and how they feel about this, he likes my getting on this right here. This thing is evil in and of itself. I'm just saying that it can be used for great evil when it comes to distraction because distraction says more people to help them doubt and disobedience ever had. And that's the best tool for distraction that are in use ever had in all the years there have been humans do you want to think your CS Lewis pointed out that is not usually bad or unbelieving thoughts that keep you from considering what's important right should be is not usually bad thoughts usually good thoughts and so be on alert to distraction one last thing for many of us. Distraction is how we keep ourselves from thinking sometimes about the things Blaise Pascal 300 years ago.

Point out the irony is that we complain about the complexity of our lives, but we actually want our lives to be complex because if they are not complex and we got in the paid attention to this gaping hole that is in our hearts and that's what we hate solitude because solitude just reveals how unhappy we are. So we try to avoid it at all costs. So we love complexity love distraction because it keeps us from thinking about eternal things Butler Blaise Pascal is not your speed. Maybe this is working to get better.

This is 80 talk about what he went on as a job as a cop on abortion right I got support start thinking about existence through a matter any of us. Is there a master where the works great is not just dumb stuff like that happen in this time of solitude on their times that God intends for you to not be distracted in those moments and take advantage of those number three distraction enslaves an insecure heart there.

Then we see from the stories I distraction enslaves an insecure hardened Martha's busyness appears to be driven by a need. I mean that she probably didn't even recognize about herself in verse 41, Jesus called her worried and upset about many things. That word worried is very similar to the word distraction. It would mean she's just concerned about the dishes not getting done word worried means is she's been porn apart the world with a lot of emotional freighted and she is worried and upset upset means tossed along like a capsized boat with no anchor. She's just drifting, she's in a storm.

She feels lost. Jesus diagnoses listen to this. Martha is happy and unhappy, unsettled and unanchored soul. Martha was probably the kind of person who needed to be needed ever meet somebody like that you married somebody like that. Are you somebody like that the kind of person you only feel significant when everybody's depending on them and so it's only when they're crazy busy and everybody's tell them they need some that's when they feel significant to go back to what we learned last week is the kind of person who asked him lonely. Seconds.

Tim only seconds to justify her whole existence and is she's not needed and indispensable to everybody in the family that she just feels worthless. That's Martha. Here's the question Jesus is saying to Martha, Martha, why would you need to feel needed by others to feel significant. I'm right here. My love is right here. I love you. I want to spend time with you. I've got a plan for you should not make you feel special.

Martha is looking for something in-service that she ought to be finding in Jesus.

Furthermore, she probably thought the way the servant was all on her. She probably thought the burden of making it all come together was given sit on her shoulders and she would like the Lord, if I don't do this is to do it, don't remember image from last week week week we close with them in following Jesus.

The image of the yoke we pointed out that the yoke Jesus offered us to carry had to spots and it. One was for you. What was for Jesus and he's much stronger, which means that when you falter. He carries it. He's the one that's responsible to make everything ultimately come together you say Martha, you can just be focused on what I want for the moment and not worry about making everything come together. Martha don't worry about the food but you were what I did with hope for you than 5000 thing I can handle the food I got this.

Don't worry about the dishes I can handle the dishes.

I personally, I wonder Martha had just trusted Jesus and set his file.

Jesus wanted if we might not have another miracle recorded right here in Luke chapter we just have the feeding of the 5000. This time it might've been the miraculous deliverance of the dirty dishes in Jesus you would do genes want to multiply the soap and it'll take care of us out about right but but the point is you trust him and he takes care of it, see what was all said and done her distraction like ours.

Listen comes from failing to believe the promises of God. A pastor friend of mine says that we tend to stay over busy because we silently tell ourselves if I don't do as much as possible. I will never may be able to make it in life. If I don't do as much as I possibly can. I'm going to fall behind. If I don't do as much as I possibly can. I'm good to be poor. If I don't do as much as I possibly can.

The my kids are going to go off the rails. If I don't do as much as I possibly can. I will be accepted if I don't do as much as I possibly can, to disappoint somebody if I don't do as much as I can't. I probably won't measure up. Those are all just failures to believe the gospel. I don't have to measure up.

I don't have to please everybody, because I've got the approval of Christ, he is maybe significant. God is given the significance of my position with him. I don't worry about falling behind because God is the one it was Garden City and build the house.

I don't want to bear that stress on me and distraction busyness is usually an indication that I really believe those things good I'm trying to make myself significant and I'm try to clear the way. Martha's disbelief actually leads to a really awkward encounter right she rebukes Jesus answers Jesus you don't really care and she starts telling them what to do all top three sides of your spiritual life is gone off the rails. One of them is chewing out Jesus okay see what this shows us is that distraction of the feeling of being overwhelmed and hurried often comes from being terribly out of fellowship with Jesus. Jesus had come there to spend time with them and instead of being instead of instead of instead of experience in him is the privilege Jesus is now become the problem. Here's one closely related about a number four distraction entices an MTR three distraction enslaves an insecure heart distraction entices an MTR because Jesus was on the right place. Martha's art, Martha's soul was a picture of craving craving significance that comes from serving from be needed to see what our soul is out of fellowship with Jesus were always craving more.

Which is why our radar is always on an open for in seeking for distraction. The comes in the form of the next enticement medical scientists say that the reason many of us are so attached to our phones is that when we look at social media a chemical in our body is released called dopamine. Dopamine is the same substance that causes us to get addicted to drugs or alcohol reporter many other things it creates this pleasure loop that had the entices you for more back dopamine pushes they show are actually heightened when the hits are smaller. Thus, they say 140 character messages like twitter seem almost designed to create a dopamine addiction loop, and as with other addictions. We feel like we need increasingly more and more of them stay on the same feeling of high which is why studies show that 33% of people check their phone in the middle the night like alcohol but to make it when I do sleep. You gotta get up at 3 AM have ahead of Jack Daniels yet to get him have that hit because your body is craving it. It's why when you don't know what to do. Just pick it up. Your body is craving that dopamine rate releases elitist start looking at your phone. John Piper wrote a great little article that asked why we are so droll. The technology first thing in the morning. Why is it most of us wake up. We just reach for the phone. Why is it that that at any Lowell in the day.

That's where your your your mind and your heart goes, then about six things ovals with a lot of time on three kinds of candy and 300 motives novelty candy what's new what's out there. We have foam of Yoritomo is, but you should have teenage daughters you know that stuff over fear of missing out your fear of missing out on my phone I might be missing out on the my friends know about that. There is a condition that psychologists have identified this is like real legit stuff for this pop psychology, but a phobia phobia of not being near your phone. Just get anxious when you're not in your phone you got no more phobia without Jesus in the right place in your heart, your fearful mow your phone what was going to turn in a number phobia without Jesus, your phone will believe a number phobia, but with Jesus you have number four mow that's original with me okay number two ego candy you came from. People are saying about us.

So you look at that you were there.

They like and that's with a comment on this for they think you look like entertainment candy what's new going on in the world that I want. What's fascinating. What's strange ministry of boredom, avoidance, Yahoo link dear, what to do, so I can avoid boredom, so I picked that up.

That's the best strategy for responsibility avoidance.

We want to put all the responsibilities God is given us his father's work mothers or bosses or employees or students or whatever parts of avoidance you want to put off dealing with relationship conflicts. The pain, suffering disabilities in our bodies and so we turn to social media ways to get away from these things. Piper says listen. These things are all indications of an unhealthy soul so don't curb the behavior right focus on the heart. The reason were such a distractible people is because Jesus is not in the right place to yes you can develop discipline in your habits with your phone another dentist out, but ultimately what you need is Jesus in the right place in your heart really doing is teaching in just a moment, but I wanted to tell you about a daily email devotional from Pastor JD that's delivered straight to your inbox. I know the busyness of life can quickly check out any joy that we feel in our walk with God as we delay each morning with word the devotional even follow along with our current teaching here on the program so you can stay plugged into teaching regardless of your schedule. Great way to practice the rest we've been talking about here on the program so sign up for this free resource right now. Jeannie clear.com/resource and now let's return for the final practical steps meant to help us in determining our priority and you and I are supposed to have such a satisfaction in knowing and doing the will of God that you're just not so susceptible to other cravings. Again John for Jesus to turn off his hunger for food when it come to be focused in the will of God. Martha should have been so full of intimacy with Jesus and doing his will that she didn't feel the need to go prove herself because she felt the warmth of his love.

She should have been so sensitive to what he wanted in the moment that she wasn't distracted by other things that he wasn't doing right. They answer to Martha's problem in the answer to your problem and mine is to get close enough to Jesus that we sense the warmth of his love and to know what he wants. Consider mirroring the officer here for a minute. Mary is described as sitting at Jesus's feet means two things.

One, she's focused she's listening.

Number two getting out of somebody's feet in the Bible is a sign of submission to authority, she is focused and submissive. The answer to feeling distracted is to get focused and submissive. Jesus, I don't mean just come and sit with occasional sermon and that you read some Christian books. I mean, there's got to be a time every single day you get focused on him and you listen to him, which is why Matteo would be in the best way for you to apply. The sermon is to set aside at least 15 minutes every day in the morning that you spend time with Jesus and you focus on him. That's not to cure everything what is going to go a long way because what happens to me in that 15 minutes. I swim in the morning as I did my soul connected to God and all the sudden some of the idols I control me start being released and I get focused on him. I get close enough to him that I could begin to sense his spirit what he wants and then I get up and I'm like this is the day that God has made for me. Ephesians 210, but he is good were city is laid out for me to go in doing him to be open to a spirit leading with them and I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, not Justin Bieber. I'm a believer not a believer and I will have to focus on what's wanted his life as God got things you do in my right to think 15 minutes everyday just focus on that. But life of Martin Luther you say Martin Luther, the reforming village and you sit on his busiest days on his busiest days he had to get up even earlier to spend more time with God that I got a least three hours before on my busiest day so I could walk with God for three hours before that busyness came upon me, so it would destroy me. By the way, just roll clear here. I don't do that okay I got a lot I tried that early on in my ministry image didn't work for me, you get like three hours early to do my plight, to about 10 minutes and then I be so arrested Jesus of fall back asleep and annexing happens and it was my kids wake me up and I decided they meant many men and I would go to Monday so hunt don't hear me. I'm not being sanctimonious I give you my plight of the rail but the point is the point is, people who really will God understand that the busier that you get, the more your soul needs to be connected and at the feet of Jesus.

So, in your busy days you go more into Jesus, not less, because without that connection. The busyness will rot and destroy your soul.

Okay number one we found another last one of her five distraction rules and on prioritize art distraction rules are not prioritized are the necessary component to be focused on what you need to be focused on right essay. Learning to say no to other good things. Martha needed the ability to say no to legitimately good things the dishes in the snack tray ready so she could say yes to the best thing I know this this morning was important principle. It's so simple one most important principles was Bible principles I ever learned was that when I said yes to something I was automatically say no to something else become a man a limit. I get 86,400 seconds every week to how much of a Superman, you feel like that's all you get.

And I can only do so much with those 86,400 seconds, and when I devote a certain number site is the best I've automatically said no to using them somewhere else. And so for it early. My ministry was my problem with speaking again. I get invited to speak someplace they want and they let me speakers on the government billboard and I felt needed and felt like it was doing God's words about my thoughts right from let's start have kids realize every yes I said with a speaking engagement, I was a note event but I'm typing on people pleasing and I will have the ability to say no. So I just start visualizing myself looking at my children, my wife and say no you can't have that time and when I would visualize the know I was giving to them in the yes I was given every year that gave me the ability to start saying no because I needed to be able to say yes to the things that really matter how one of my mentors, Debbie Aiken, Pres. over Southeastern seminary and Danny Aiken used to say he's a JD. There's a lot of places that your board lot you serve it over here doing this you speak and hear your report, but there is one place in your irreplaceable they can always get a different speaker. They can always get somebody to do this job ever here but Veronica and Karis and Allie and Ry and Adam they got one husband one day in your irreplaceable should do not trade irreplaceable for the importance okay and his at his behest. Years ago I made a list of, my biggest priority.

My biggest roles most important roles in our play relationship God was was the first one about about of what concentric circles Roy civil God was a personal demolish of my wife and I will issue my kids and I have my other leadership responsibilities, and I knew that my position" success.

My success was determined in that order by how well I was doing those things all wanted to make sure that those things got the best most important parts. My week and all the little teeny tiny stuff to make these the kind of big element. So first, what we got a much help in anybody it on the wall, got into the greatest gift I give my wife and kids were asked if I give you walking God so that's can always get first place in my life. Nothing is ever gonna compete with my quiet time suddenly if I have an unhealthy marriage.

I'm not helping my kids so I'm good at it.

Have a healthy marriage and bless our church will focus a lot of time and a lot of money 100 on the mirrors.

Third thing is a good to spend time with family because you all if I go choose between having a huge successful church and family that just healthy loves Jesus, I'll take the family every single dime and I've been nature. Even with my church roles.

I started to think like there are some things that I make a greater contribution and then others.

You have the greatest contribution. I thought coming to the church to stand up here every week and opening the word of God preaching as I will make sure that I'm always prepared for that is a lot I can spend all week long. Just doing little stuff that almost always need to be done, but it might not show up on the weekend. I'm unprepared. I'm not seeing these people the word of God and I'm not really serving them.

So I don't want to say no to some good things I say yes to the best thing right and then I put in all this other stuff speaking engagements and sermon. This is not unlike you know there sometimes I need to be with our church in this river here might be more glamorous, more exciting time to be civil so and so, when the walking through the valley of pain and I got to be committed to be there for that's the best thing God has for me. Not all the stuff over here on my list is not the same as yours, but my encouragement to you is to figure out what that list is to clarify and then pursue it with all of your might, it is hard to overestimate the unimportance of practically everything in your life. Many of us are asking how can I do more, you ought to be asking am I doing the right things to change her question not how I do more but am I doing the things I'm supposed to be doing what I want you to see this weekend is all of these problems that you have horizontally would business instruction ultimately go back to a vertical disruption.

You got hit Jesus in the right place when you get them in the right place to find a lot of these problems horizontally. Just begin to disappear cannot close this with just a few really practical, really super bright opening things you brought up was as of the sermon. I was thinking how to I hope about something always 15 minutes a day to be with Jesus Artie said that when just just and you like one never done that to do it for a week. Try for seven days and you come back and tell me if it doesn't make one of the biggest differences in your peace of mind. Why do I just 15 minutes.

Give God that 15 minutes and just watch what happens. Okay rights of the data that's my first in this truck for seven days and think about tell me I'm a liar throughout the day. Keep your phone in your pocket and just check in at certain intervals. It's been a habit that I've developed that I just inches from life-giving and does not always necessarily unit connected to it there but when I can be responsible to check in with it from time to time just to control it.

I'll let it control me your number at three unfollow the people that you envy that's really good advice that you probably don't recognize that your initial some just unfollow them to think that that the burden on your life is she prettier than you do about work. If I you know if he's a beverage of the unfollow him just get this if you just can help you take care of your number for review your priorities often review your priorities often go through figure out what roles you gotta fill clearing to do that in community.

By the way, if you're married to that with your spouse. Figure what roles they are what order they should go in if you're it will a good working relationship doing with your your boss from small review with a group of friends, but most of all most all reprioritize time with Jesus. Everything a great conclusion to a practical and convicting teaching series you're listening to Summit life with Jeannie Greer our current resource is a set of conversation cards in a book called devotions for the distracted family 15 days on relationships, faith, and rest in Jeannie. I know you have a specific aim in mind. So what do you hope listeners will take away from this particular study grow best in our faith in community.

Whatever the community is your family small group friends who are like family.

Of course your local church. Our goal is to keep you and those your closeness with talking and communicating in that group about important things like faith relationships and even rest because we live in a distracted world. A lot of us never engage in some of these meaningful conversations, not because we don't want to be a member because we never find opportunity and so we created a book for anybody who feels distracted, disconnected, at times, we've given you a tool in this conversation. Cards that will help kickstart conversations, ask meaningful questions that will take your conversations places they they may not otherwise go. I think you'll find these really really helpful when you combine them with this book of devotions, you might be surprised at how you and those your closeness with her talking about how you your faith brings you press to bring to fulfillment and joy, I would love to give you a copy of both of these things if you go to JD Greer.com is a place where we can become a gospel partner with us love to be able to give these resources and also make some other benefits available to you as you participate in the ministry that the God is given us here. We can get you a copy of these new resources today as they come with our donate program is kept on the radio and online by listeners like you filling your hearing. Our program another listener to think it's today and remember to ask for your copy of the devotions for the distracted family conversation cards, call eight 665-2866 335-5220 or you can donate and request a pair online Greer.com Molly benefits inviting you to join us again tomorrow begin a new teaching series online in the world today Friday on my teaching career. Your ministry