Finding Stillness Amidst Distractions: A Call to God
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Bible Study Guide
Sermon Clips
Jesus is always working in the change of plans. Jesus is working in your change of plans. I don't know how your plans were changed, but let's change a little more. Would you come and bring a confession before Jesus this morning? I don't know if you were planning on it, but I know there's things. There's sins. There's shame. There's guilt. There's weight to your week. Things that you wish you wouldn't have done. Things that you wish wouldn't have been done to you. Let's cast it all on Jesus this morning. [00:24:00] (38 seconds)
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among nations. I will be exalted in the earth. That first line, be still and know that I am God. When was the last time you were still? Truly still. No phone. No text that we're buzzing. No emails coming in that you just have to keep an eye on. No Instagram. No Snapchats. No getting into your devotional time, but then kind of using it as a way to take a picture of it with your coffee by the table or something like that. Just you and Jesus. Truly still. Intentionally away from distractions. Thanks to God. [00:32:45] (57 seconds)
Martha, you're you're anxious you're anxious again you're troubled about many things I see it one thing is necessary though I want to repeat that for all of us today one thing is necessary Mary has chosen the good portion I'm not going to take that away from her church this is the simple thing that's on my heart this morning for all of you busyness for God is not a substitute for time with God busyness for God is not a substitute for time with God let alone just busyness is certainly not a substitute for time with God but even something good busyness for God even isn't a substitute for time with God [00:44:47] (59 seconds)
Have you been distracted by anything lately? Especially busyness. Busyness with life or just busyness with keeping your mind busy. With scrolling, TV, some device, distracted. God doesn't want sacrifice or your works. He wants you. He loves you. He wants time with you. Died so that there wouldn't be a barrier between him and you. I mean, see the characteristics that Martha has. In her busyness, there's a byproduct that comes out of her life. And I think that maybe we can relate with this. There's two things that happen when she is so busy. She ends up being frustrated with God and frustrated with others. [00:46:22] (61 seconds)
But this is what I believe, that almost every friction point and challenge that we have in church would be solved if we were just still with Jesus more often. If we were intentional, as intentional with that in our life as everything else that we run around for. All of our volunteer needs, all of our relationship rubs, all of our evangelism efforts, all of our vacancies that we have in fellowship time or whatever it might be, all this would be solved if we truly sat at the feet of Jesus more often. [00:48:04] (36 seconds)
Because when you spend time around Jesus, you're transformed. And you become filled in a way that sends you out into the lives of other people. You're filled and then you're sent out. And when you enjoy Jesus, you want other people to enjoy Jesus. When you're filled by Jesus, you want to fill other people by Jesus. You want them to have a great experience with Jesus like you experienced Jesus. And then it just pours out into different areas. But like Martha, so many of us are just busy. [00:48:39] (38 seconds)
And it's so hard to just take some time for Jesus to fit in our schedule, yet it's so easy to have 45 minutes at the end of our day on our phones. That just kind of simply happens. Why is that? Because of that. Why is that? here's what I want you to do right now. I want you to imagine Jesus saying your name right now two times very patiently. Greg? Hey, Greg? You're anxious about a lot of things. You're so distracted. Greg, I just want to spend some time with you. [00:50:13] (50 seconds)
Whatever your distraction is, don't let it keep you from the one necessary thing in your life, sitting at the feet of your Savior, Jesus. Be still with Jesus. We're going to close today with Psalm 139. Because when God is saying, be still and know me, this isn't an egotistical ask. This isn't a God demanding his lowly creation to bend down before him and make time for him. God is simply asking you to be in a relationship with him like he is in with you. [00:51:20] (44 seconds)
I don't know what we're looking for when we scroll mindlessly or distract ourselves with busyness, but I think it's this. I think we're looking for love, for purpose, a relationship that fills us to something that makes us feel known and understood and valuable. This is the relationship we have with the Almighty, a God who humbles himself out of love and admiration for you. I was trying to pick out a few verses. I'm going to read a chunk of this because David writes this. [00:52:00] (38 seconds)
And here's what we find out about the Lord. He says, O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it all together. You hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. [00:52:41] (36 seconds)
It's hard to attain this. God longs not just for you to be still, but he also longs to be still with you. And I think that's all that needs to be said because when you get this relationship right with Jesus, you will not be distracted from other people. You will be filled, motivated, and sent into the lives of other people in authentic ways. I mean, can you imagine how relationships would change, how families could change, if we just made this as big a priority as other events? [00:54:50] (38 seconds)
But unfortunately, we have become so distracted. And it's kept us from real relationship with our Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And it affects the relationship that we get to have with each other. Be still. Know God. The God who's patiently waiting to spend time with you. Let's pray. God, we confess that sometimes even our prayers are, you know, we pray like we scroll, you know. Just a little bit of time here, a little bit of time there. [00:55:21] (52 seconds)
Ask a question about this sermon
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among nations. I will be exalted in the earth. That first line, be still and know that I am God. When was the last time you were still? Truly still. No phone. No text that we're buzzing. No emails coming in that you just have to keep an eye on. No Instagram. No Snapchats. No getting into your devotional time, but then kind of using it as a way to take a picture of it with your coffee by the table or something like that. Just you and Jesus. Truly still. Intentionally away from distractions. Thanks to God. [00:32:45] (57 seconds)
Martha, you're you're anxious you're anxious again you're troubled about many things I see it one thing is necessary though I want to repeat that for all of us today one thing is necessary Mary has chosen the good portion I'm not going to take that away from her church this is the simple thing that's on my heart this morning for all of you busyness for God is not a substitute for time with God busyness for God is not a substitute for time with God let alone just busyness is certainly not a substitute for time with God but even something good busyness for God even isn't a substitute for time with God [00:44:47] (59 seconds)
Have you been distracted by anything lately? Especially busyness. Busyness with life or just busyness with keeping your mind busy. With scrolling, TV, some device, distracted. God doesn't want sacrifice or your works. He wants you. He loves you. He wants time with you. Died so that there wouldn't be a barrier between him and you. I mean, see the characteristics that Martha has. In her busyness, there's a byproduct that comes out of her life. And I think that maybe we can relate with this. There's two things that happen when she is so busy. She ends up being frustrated with God and frustrated with others. [00:46:22] (61 seconds)
But this is what I believe, that almost every friction point and challenge that we have in church would be solved if we were just still with Jesus more often. If we were intentional, as intentional with that in our life as everything else that we run around for. All of our volunteer needs, all of our relationship rubs, all of our evangelism efforts, all of our vacancies that we have in fellowship time or whatever it might be, all this would be solved if we truly sat at the feet of Jesus more often. [00:48:04] (36 seconds)
Because when you spend time around Jesus, you're transformed. And you become filled in a way that sends you out into the lives of other people. You're filled and then you're sent out. And when you enjoy Jesus, you want other people to enjoy Jesus. When you're filled by Jesus, you want to fill other people by Jesus. You want them to have a great experience with Jesus like you experienced Jesus. And then it just pours out into different areas. But like Martha, so many of us are just busy. [00:48:39] (38 seconds)
And it's so hard to just take some time for Jesus to fit in our schedule, yet it's so easy to have 45 minutes at the end of our day on our phones. That just kind of simply happens. Why is that? Because of that. Why is that? here's what I want you to do right now. I want you to imagine Jesus saying your name right now two times very patiently. Greg? Hey, Greg? You're anxious about a lot of things. You're so distracted. Greg, I just want to spend some time with you. [00:50:13] (50 seconds)
Whatever your distraction is, don't let it keep you from the one necessary thing in your life, sitting at the feet of your Savior, Jesus. Be still with Jesus. We're going to close today with Psalm 139. Because when God is saying, be still and know me, this isn't an egotistical ask. This isn't a God demanding his lowly creation to bend down before him and make time for him. God is simply asking you to be in a relationship with him like he is in with you. [00:51:20] (44 seconds)
I don't know what we're looking for when we scroll mindlessly or distract ourselves with busyness, but I think it's this. I think we're looking for love, for purpose, a relationship that fills us to something that makes us feel known and understood and valuable. This is the relationship we have with the Almighty, a God who humbles himself out of love and admiration for you. I was trying to pick out a few verses. I'm going to read a chunk of this because David writes this. [00:52:00] (38 seconds)
And here's what we find out about the Lord. He says, O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it all together. You hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. [00:52:41] (36 seconds)
It's hard to attain this. God longs not just for you to be still, but he also longs to be still with you. And I think that's all that needs to be said because when you get this relationship right with Jesus, you will not be distracted from other people. You will be filled, motivated, and sent into the lives of other people in authentic ways. I mean, can you imagine how relationships would change, how families could change, if we just made this as big a priority as other events? [00:54:50] (38 seconds)
But unfortunately, we have become so distracted. And it's kept us from real relationship with our Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And it affects the relationship that we get to have with each other. Be still. Know God. The God who's patiently waiting to spend time with you. Let's pray. God, we confess that sometimes even our prayers are, you know, we pray like we scroll, you know. Just a little bit of time here, a little bit of time there. [00:55:21] (52 seconds)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Apr 19, 2024. Do you have any questions about it?