Confronting Culture - No Distractions - a podcast by Lewis Marsh
from 2023-03-19T21:19:31
Part Four: No Distractions
By Louie Marsh, 3-19-2023
1) To be a good witness I must be FOCUSED on Jesus.
“1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1–2, ESV)
Looking away from everything which may distract. - Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 4 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 537–538.
· To look towards Jesus means looking AWAY from everything else.
2) To stay focused on Jesus I must REJECT all sin.
“1So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:1–3, ESV)
3) To stay focused on Jesus I must FORSAKE myself.
“1In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” (2 Samuel 11:1, ESV)
“4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”” (1 Kings 19:4, ESV)
4) To stay focused on Jesus I must DISCERN between good, better & best.
“38Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40But 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.” 41But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”” (Luke 10:38–42, ESV)
“4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4–5, ESV)
5) Staying focused on Jesus means I follow the Word NOT my FEELINGS.
“57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”” (Luke 9:57–62, ESV)
Example of Super Spirituality Distraction
A few days ago, a sister in Christ posted a video entitled End Unrighteous Fellowship. It was about limiting time spent with non-Christians because of the spiritual effect they can have on us…we shouldn’t actively seek them out for fellowship/fun.
As soon as I heard the video, my mind instantly went to the three ladies I run with at work. We are all on the same team in public education. As such, we spend hours and hours together…Occasionally, we eat lunch together…The weird thing is, more often than not when I leave those meetings/lunches, I’m repenting for something I said or thought during that time. Sometimes, though, it’s not even anything I can name. It’s just a general feeling that I am out of sync with the Lord.
Then I got the object lesson. It was Sunday night, and just as I was putting on my boots for church, I got a phone call from one of my co-workers asking about something at school. When I was done talking, I put my phone on the arm of the couch and then forgot about it. When I got to church, I didn’t have my cell phone to record the night’s hymns for my YouTube channel playlist called Hymns With Hannah.
I was distracted, and I wasn’t able to do the job that I believe that God called me to do. I think He was showing me a physical example of what actually happens in the spiritual realm. Whether it is ungodliness or just worldliness, time spent with people who don’t have Jesus as their centerpiece can cause us to miss important details in the work that God has for us to do.
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