THE DANGERS OF AN UNCHECKED DISTRACTIONS

Ephesians 5:15-16
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Illustration
Native American and his friend who were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in
Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their
horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost
deafening.
Suddenly, the Native American said, "I hear a cricket."
His friend said, "What? You must be crazy. You couldn't possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!"
"No, I'm sure of it," the Native American said. "I heard a cricket." (GANGIS SA BISAYA)
"That's crazy," said the friend.
The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big cement
planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough,
he located a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed. "That's incredible," said his friend. "You must have
super-human ears!"
"No," said the Native American. "My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you're listening
for."
"But that can't be!" said the friend. "I could never hear a cricket in this noise."
"Yes, it's true," came the reply. "It depends on what is really important to you. Here, let me show you."
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then,
with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn
and look to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
"See what I mean?" asked the Native American. "It all depends on what's important to you."
INTRODUCTION:
- DISTRACTION is the one of the most POTENT tactics of the devil that MANY CHRISTIANS fall into. WHY?
o Not necessarily evil – phones, hobbies, relationships
o Disguised as “STRESS RELIEVERS”
- THIS WILL LEAD CHRISTIANS TO BE CAUGHT OFF-GUARD
o No goals accomplished – lead to frustrations, angry,
o No growth – the old self is slowly coming back
o WORSE? Jesus curses at the fig tree
- THEREFORE, WE NEED TO KNOW THE EFFECTS OF AN UNCHECKED DISTRACTIONS, SO WE CAN GET
BACK ON TRACK:
1. Unchecked Distractions MAKES THE GOSPEL UNFRUITFUL IN US (Mt. 13:7, 22)

“Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.” (Matt. 13:7 ESV) “As for
what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the
deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” (Matt. 13:22 ESV)

For many, that's exactly what's happening with them and the gospel. They hear the biggest news this
world has ever heard and they are given the opportunity to participate in it and in bearing the
righteous fruit we were made to bear, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of
riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful.

- It takes our away OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND MAKE DISCIPLES
- We get distracted by:
1. Our own PERSONAL wants – forget God and do it on our own.
2. The issues of the world
3. Other peoples lives
- The WORLD will look at you with:
o How good looking you are – vanity in oneself, there is a fine line between trying to live healthy
and trying to be presentable and vanity.
o How much money you make – overtime, work in Sundays,
o How popular you are – tiktok, soc med, comparing oneself to others,

- Maayo lang sa sugod = LIFE GROUP (active kaayo, kadugayan, wala na.. gamay lang nga bikil
sa members, give up na, mangita nalang ug lingaw)
- We live in a life of COMPLACENCY AND COMPROMISE (okay ra man guro dili na mag
evangelize, okay ra man guro dili gyud ko mag effort sa life group basta maka meet lang mi
kada week, okay na… okay ra man guro nga sendan lang nakog encouragement verse akung
member, okay ra man guro nga dili nako adtoan sa ilang balay)
- WORLD DOCTRINE: like “Unahin mo sarili mo” “when you start to pursue your personal
dreams, you start to lose friends.”
- THE RESULT? NO GROWTH, NO NEW SOULS IN CHRIST, NO NEW CHALLENGES ACCOMPLISHED IN
OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE
- Again, this seems harmless and important – BUT IF LEFT UNCHECKED, IT WILL KILL OUR MOTIVATION
TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD.
VERSE: Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

2. Unchecked Distractions Cause Us to FORGET ABOUT JUDGMENT (Lk. 21:34-36)

Luke 21:34–36 ESV, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and
drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come
upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that
you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before
the Son of Man.”
- The human brain, according to statistics, is poor judgement of time and importance. That’s why many
popular apps in our phone is about DAILY TASKS. (to-do list, alarms).
- THE DEVIL KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
- The perfect combination: HARMLESS and INTERESTING
o HOBBIES ARE ALWAYS HARMLESS AND INTERESTING – playing computer games, basketball,
gym, soc med, reading books other than the bible, socializing, surfing the net, watching videos
o There is a FINE LINE BETWEEN hobbies being STRESS RELIEVERS and being a distractions.
- ALWAYS REMIND OURSELVES ROMANS 12:1-2 1Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of
God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your
spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God
- STAY AWAKE AND PRAY
VERSE:

1 Peter 5:8
 
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour:

3. Unchecked distractions CLOSE OFF COMMUNION WITH GOD (Luke 10:38-

42).

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha
welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and
listened to his teaching. But 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.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about
many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be
taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38–42 ESV)

- This is one of the most confusing and sometimes eyebrow raising verse in the bible.
- Serving — a command of God — is spoken of as a distraction in this text.

MATTHEW 22:36-38

…36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the

Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and
greatest commandment

"One thing is necessary. "that strikes me. So many things are urgent and even important and
even commanded by God. we talk so much about what we need: what we need to do, to eat, places
we need to be, people we need, things we need to buy, and even commands of God we need to obey.
But, really, just one thing is necessary.
 - Studies, ministry, serving others, = ARE GOOD AND EVEN COMMANDED BY GOD –
HORIZONTAL MINISTRY
- VERTICAL MINISTRY – prioritize first then HORIZONTAL MINISTRY.
- SERVICE:
- Our Job, Profession

Mary chose the better portion — she chose to sit at the Lord's feet to listen to his
teaching-and that will not be taken from her. In all our busyness and even service, are we humbly
sitting down to quietly receive and enjoy the better portion?

CONCLUSION:
All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.” “All things are lawful,” but
not all things build up.” (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23) 
In the same way, it is challenging for us to not become distracted from the gospel, from judgment, from
commitment and communion with God because our modern world has a lot that flashes that is not inherently
wrong and most of us have enough free time and money to enjoy a lot of it. It's hard because we are raised in
a world and church that — when it comes to partaking in these things — rarely teaches us to ask anything
more than, "Is it lawful?" And so we fill our lives with lawful things that aren't inherently wrong and we
become distracted from what is truly necessary.