The Obstacle of Distraction

Those amazing pictures of the Universe were not possible before 1990. It was in 1990 that one of the greatest innovations in space exploration was placed in orbit. It was the Hubble Telescope. It was built over a period of years and featured a reflecting mirror that had to be made with exact precision. Just how exact that precision had to be was discovered when the telescope was deployed. The pictures that NASA received were better than any they’d ever gotten before, but they knew something was wrong. Clarity was lacking.

They finally determined that when the huge reflecting mirror had been ground and polished, it’s preparation was slightly off. When I say slightly, I mean slightly! It was off by the 1/50th of the width of a single strand of hair! But that little bit of difference was very important. It was the difference between seeing this image SHOW PIC (out of focus) and this image SHOW PIC(in focus). The fix required another space launch and the refitting of that mirror with a pair of glasses to refocus the image. The result was amazing pictures of our universe that we had never seen before.

SHOW HUBBLE 3

Though I hesitate to use such majestic shots to make such a mundane point, this teaches me something: The right FOCUS will reveal a Clear PICTURE. Now, it is true that the images that we received from the hubble before the correction was made were better than before, bringing things into focus took us from “ehh” to “WOW!” The right focus reveals a clear picture.

Now follow me: Just as a right focus reveals a clear picture, so the right strategy achieves a clear vision.

BACKGROUND

We’ve been in this series entitled: On the Move: Overcoming the Obstacles to Growth. In the first week we talked about how internalizing the right habits as a Christian will lead to an inner power that causes you to stop waiting for the right program and take your own personal initiative. In week two we said that we can overcome the obstacle of apathy by valuing relationships, seeking to listen to the Holy Spirit, and following His lead to maximize your opportunities. Week three showed us how prayer neutralizes the obstacle of fear and last week we showed how being willing to confront sin with specific biblical values allows us to avoid the sabotage Satan wishes to unleash on us.

Now we’ve come to chapter 6. Satan has been defeated by God’s church. In chapter four he tries to silence believers through persecution, but he is defeated. In chapter five, he tries to corrupt the church through lies and hypocrisy, but he is defeated. So, in chapter six, he tries another tactic. He tries to distract the church through controversy. Read with me:

Acts 6:1–7 NKJV

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

The believers in Jerusalem were all Jewish, but they had different backgrounds and even different languages. Those born in Israel would have spoken Hebrew and been a little more conservative when it came to the law and traditions. The second group was born outside of Israel and spoke Greek. They were a little less conservative and a little less traditional. But those little differences created distrust. The Greek speakers (called “Hellenists” in these verses) evidently felt as if the Hebrew speakers felt superior to them, called all the shots, and mistreated them. They were not being treated fairly and the matter was brought to the Apostles. Now I believe that this incident taught this church something and it can also teach us something about overcoming this obstacle of distraction.

NEED

And, yes, I do believe the church in America is, in many instances at least, distracted. We have plenty of property and we sometimes don’t think we can even have a church if we don’t have it. We got plenty of property, but little population. While our holdings go up, our membership goes down. I think we’ve been distracted.

And we’ve got plenty of opportunity but little vision. We bemoan the fact that the world is becoming less enamored with the gospel instead of seeing that the more lost the world becomes the larger our mission field grows. Yet, though the opportunities are huge, the world seems to be slipping beyond our ability to really impact it. Some say that it is because our message is outdated, but I do not believe the problem is the message. I think that the problem is distraction.

TRANS

That’s why we need to see what happens here in . At the time when distraction seemed almost inevitable, the church rises to the occasion and overcomes this obstacle. I believe we can too! This passage shows us how. It tells us that distractions can be overcome first of all when:

Distractions are overcome when problems are faced.

EXP

One of the greatest reasons we get distracted from the vision God has for us is simply the problems we face. That was true for the early church. Their problem is described in v1: Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. When this verse talks about a “daily distribution” it is speaking about food, clothing or even money given to those who needed it. For widows, that need was daily since many had no one to take care of them.

It seems, however, that the way the food was being distributed caused a problem. The Greek speaking people thought the Hebrews, who were running things, were unfair. After a while that perception of unfairness began to cause resentment. The church which had begun so well was in danger of slipping into the same problem that has destroyed so many congregations since then. The people started to complain. The word for “complaint” there is “murmuring” and speaks of a grumbling that is done under the breath. You all know what I’m talking about here. You’ve heard it—you’ve probably seen it. You’ve walked into a congregation and seen people “talking.” There speaking quietly with that sly look of disdain. No one’s going to the leaders; they’re just talking. By the way, the word used here for murmuring is the same word that describes what the Children of Israel did against Moses that almost cost them their lives on several occasions when they were in the Wilderness. This complaint was dangerous.

But it wasn’t the greatest danger. The greatest danger from this problem of unfairness was distraction. If the Apostles had allowed it to happen, this need could have pulled them from their ministry of the Word and prayer and caused them to try to meet the needs themselves.

So here was their dilemma: They knew they could not ignore the problem and they knew that, if they fixed the problem themselves, they would be distracted. That’s why they said in v4

Acts 6:4–5 NKJV

but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,

Acts 6:4-Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; . . . 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, The bottom line is this: They solved the problem. They didn’t allow the problem to create even more division or to distract them from the mission. They solved it.

The bottom line is this: They solved the problem. They didn’t allow the problem to create even more division or to distract them from the mission. They solved it.

APP

Overcoming problems means that members cannot allow grumbling to go unchallenged.

That’s a great model for any church to follow, including our own! Listen, Members cannot allow grumbling to go unchallenged. If I could point to any one characteristic that causes distraction for churches, it is grumbling and complaining. You may do it and think that it’s a little thing, but it isn’t. It destroys momentum and keeps us from moving forward. It destroys trust and causes people who were ok before to begin to doubt. But often, instead of moving to stop complaints and challenging complainers, members weaponize complaints, find people who are sympathetic and spread their discontent, or they go on Facebook and attack. Listen, if the Apostle Paul confronted brothers taking brothers to court where their testimony would be trashed in front of an audience of 10’s, can you imagine what he would say to a brother who trashed another brother on Facebook in front of millions! If we are going to avoid distraction, members cannot allow grumbling to go unchallenged.

Overcoming problems means that churches cannot allow problems to go unsolved.

But there’s another side to the coin. Yes, members cannot allow grumbling to go unchallenged but, also, if churches are going to stay focused, Churches cannot allow problems to go unsolved. Of course, not every complaint has real substance. Sometimes people make complaints that aren’t even based on something that is true. At other times, however, the complaint points to a problem that needs to be addressed and, when that is true, churches must address the problem. That’s the only way to stay on track. Churches cannot allow problems to go unanswered.

And in this church we have a process to seek solutions to problems. Peace Church has always been a pastor-led church. The pastoral staff has always been the ones to set the vision and the mission of the church. But that staff has also always been accountable to you as the church body. Except in the most general decisions, we do not have a democracy here, we have representative government. Every year we elect three boards in this church a board of Deacons, a board of Trustees and a board of Finance who represent you as a congregation and make sure you are protected and that your views are heard and considered. Through these boards decisions are made that provide accountability for the staff.

So where are you with this? Have you been murmuring? Have your words destroyed trust or compromised momentum? Hey, if you’ve got a complaint the best thing to do is what eventually happened here in : Make it known to someone who can do something about it. The apostles heard the issue and dealt with the problem. That is critical because the alternative is controversy which will distract you from your vision, destroy your unity and compromise your momentum.

ILL

Pic - Jim Cymbala

I will never forget a statement I heard Jim Cymbala say at a music conference many years ago. He was talking about their choir and how they dealt with problems that might arise. He said, “If you have a problem and fall into sin, he said we will come to you and work with you and seek to bring you back to fellowship with the Lord and, eventually restore you to ministry.” He said, “But, if you are in the choir and you are a complainer and cause division, we will come to you and confront you and you will be out of the choir, no questions asked, for good.” Then he made this statement. He said, “We do that because the Holy Spirit cannot move where there is disunity and divisiveness.”

TRANS

teaches us that conflict is always an opportunity for growth or for distraction. We must avoid distraction at all costs. Distraction is overcome when problems are face and then distraction is overcome when:

Distractions are overcome when mission is prioritized.

EXP

What you see in this chapter, however, is more than the church FACING their problem; you also see the Apostles refusing to be SIDETRACKED by their problems. Look at v2 It says;

Acts 6:2–4 NKJV

Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The Apostles IDENTIFIED their mission. They said, we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. They were clear about what they were supposed to be doing.

The Apostles IDENTIFIED their mission. They said, we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. They were clear about what they were supposed to be doing.

And their clarity led to priority. They not only knew what their purpose was, they prioritized it. They put it first. They said, “We will not leave what God has called us to do in order to do this other thing that others need us to do.”

And here’s the point: God had given the Apostles both the gift and the responsibility of teaching the Word of God. Had they stepped out of that, two bad things would have happened. First, they would have been out of the area of their gifting, and then they would have stepped into a role that God had gifted someone else to fill! That’s why a church has the gifts like teaching like helps like mercy and like evangelism: It is to make sure that ALL of the needs of the church are met.

But listen (and please don’t miss this!) While God does gift us all DIFFERENTLY, He expects us to use those gifts for the same PRIORITY. We are to make disciples. That was His final command. So if your gift is mercy, you are to leverage that gift to make disciples; if your gift is teaching, you are to leverage that gift to make and grow disciples; if your gift is administration, you are to leverage that gift to make disciples. No matter what your gifting is, making disciples is your calling.

And in this passage, these disciples show us how we are to stay on the same page even when our giftings are so different. We prioritize our mission and, when we do that, we overcome distraction.

ARG

And I know that someone might say, “But wait a minute, Rusty. Far be it from me to complain (especially after what you just said about complaining) but what about us members who are here? Aren’t you supposed to take care of us too?

I still remember hearing that question asked many years ago. It was visitation night and we were going out to share the gospel with people who were not saved. I remember getting word that one of the church members had gotten a big disappointment in his life and had called into the church and said that we were so busy going after new people that we were not taking care of the people who are here.

So what about that question? I mean, it is obvious from this passage that these people were being cared for, right? I mean the whole thrust of these verses is that there was a need that wasn’t being met so the Apostles designed a solution to fix the problem. Obviously, needs of the body are not to be ignored.

Where’s the balance then?

ILL

Pic -Military Medical Tent

Well, I think I can best illustrate that balance like this. In the army there are some soldiers who are trained to be medics. Their job is to take care of those who are wounded and, that’s a good thing because people certainly do get wounded in war! If there were not medics—well that would be a very bad thing.

But while there are medics in the army, the purpose of the army is not medicine. I mean, what if you showed up at a military base and all you saw was medical tents? No tanks, no guns, no helicopters, no ammo—just medical tents.

When you walked around the base, everyone was engaged in taking care of the men. And the men needed a lot of medical attention. Many of them had high blood pressure because they never exercised; many of them had diabetes because all they did was sit around and eat; many of them had joint issues and couldn’t hardly walk, much less run because they were overweight.

Now, you could argue, I suppose that these guys do, indeed, need medical attention because they have so many medical problems. But all of those problems come because they are sitting and not fighting. I think you’d conclude very quickly that this army was missing the point! Listen! The point of the army is not to take care of their soldiers FIRST! The point of the army is to FIGHT!

And church, we are the army of God. Yes we do have and we do need medical tents to help us care for one another when we are wounded, but these medical tents are not ends in themselves. They are simply a means of keeping us engaged in the battle for God. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from our mission. Instead, we must stay focused on the mission because it is that focus which will overcome our distraction.

That distraction is overcome when problems are faced and the mission is prioritized. And then distraction is overcome when . ..

Distractions are overcome when strategy is embraced.

EXP

V5 says, and the saying (that is the plan the Apostles presented to the people) please the whole multitude. Vv 6-7 go on to say that the people brought their candidates to the Apostles and

Acts 6:6–7 NKJV

whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. These verses indicate that this plan of the Apostles was quickly embraced by the people. Why?

Well, I believe it is because the Apostles gave the people clear criteria for the people that could serve. V3 says

Acts 6:3 NKJV

Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;

Not just any warm body would do. These men had to be full of the Holy Spirit and have good reputations.

But this decision wasn’t all onesided. The people also had to weigh in; they had input. The Apostles told them to find the candidates. And once the candidates were found, the Apostles gave them authority. V6 says that the Apostles laid hands on them, symbolizing the fact that they were imparting authority to them.

You see, the disciples came up with a strategy for handling this problem. Instead of picking it apart and finding all the things they didn’t like about it, the people embraced it and the result was that the church grew. V 7 says

Acts 6:7 NKJV

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

And if the church is to make progress, a strategy is required and that strategy must be embraced.

ARG

And I know as soon as I say that there is a “school of thought” among some believers that goes something like this: “Hey, all you need is the power of God. If He is blessing and involved, it’s going to happen. You can just ‘let go and let God.’” I’ll have to tell you that this is true as far as it goes, but I don’t think it quite captures everything needed to truly see multiplication happen.

Look! The truth is that the early church had the power! Amazing things were happening, but that still didn’t stop people from complaining—from “murmuring.” (Wow, there’s a whole sermon there waiting to be preached, but we don’t have the time). But even though they had the power, the early church needed a PLAN to follow. They needed a strategy. Now, don’t get this in the wrong order. Plans without power will not succeed spiritually. It is also true, however, that power without plans will not succeed indefinitely. This church needed a strategy to deal with the problem.

The vision of God is needed for our unity.

Now don’t miss what I am about to say: The vision of God is needed for our unity. When we adopt the same long term goals, it brings us together and we are able to move with great purpose and momentum.

The power of God is needed for our success.

The vision of God is needed for our unity and then the power of God is needed for our success. Unless they are empowered by the Holy Spirit, long term goals are just pipe dreams. It takes the power of God to do the work of God.

A strategy from God is needed for our focus.

The vision of God is needed for our unity and the power of God is needed for our success, but finally, a strategy from God is needed for focus. A strategy fits all the parts together and causes the church to actually align with the vision they want to pursue.

APP

So you might be asking: “Does Peace Church have a mission?” O yes, We exist to glorify God and make disciples by helping everyday people experience life change through Christ-centered relationships.

“Ok, great, you’ve got a mission but what about a vision? Do you have a concrete picture of where you’d like to see God take this church in the next ten years? Absolutely! By 2030 we want to plant five churches, reach 50 neighborhoods around Wilson with 100 life groups that reach 2000 people for Christ.

Now, obviously, that is a big dream and none of it can possibly happen without the power of God, but there must be a strategy that keeps us focused if we are going to know what we are supposed to do every week when we show up here. What is that strategy?

Pic - Worship (Caption: “Know”)

Well, that strategy is corporate worship. We want people to come together on Sunday morning to join their hearts in intense and powerful worship of God. We want them to hear the word of God preached so that they are changed, empowered, and inspired to be sent into the world. On our strategy map that looks like this: KNOW.

Now I have to tell you that this part of our strategy is one that needs to be valued very highly. Recent statistics have shown that the average evangelical family only attends worship 1.6 times per month! Something’s wrong with that picture! We are clearly told in not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. The first leg of our strategy is corporate worship. We KNOW.

Pic - Life group (Caption: “Grow”)

The second leg of our strategy is: Community accountability: We want every single member or regular attender to deeply engage in relationships with other believers so that they are encouraged in their practical obedience of God’s Word. This happens primarily in life groups and in other opportunities for relationships. On our strategy map that looks like this: GROW.

Now, if you look carefully, you’ll see that the first two legs of this strategy are inwardly focused. We worship together to feed our souls and we grow together to care for each other’s needs. The last two legs of this strategy are outwardly focused.

Pic - Student ministry small group (Caption: “Serve”)

The third leg of our strategy is: Consistent service - As a member, you are part of the family here. We need you to serve this body in some capacity. I just love walking up here on Sunday mornings and seeing the greeters at the doors making people feel welcome! I so appreciate the ushers who help each week, the people who sing and lead us in worship, the guys who work in media to put all of this together. I love the fact that right now, even if you can’t see them, many adults and older teens are teaching your kids and caring for them so that you are able to be here to worship. Listen! If you’re not serving, you are missing a great blessing and it is part of your responsibility and it is also part of a strategy that helps us achieve the vision. On our strategy map that looks like this: SERVE

So we know through worship, grow through community, serve in ministry.

Pic - Life on life discipleship (Caption: “Go”)

The last leg of our strategy is, then is Connected Discipleship: You and I are called to make disciples and that begins with the relational connections we make with people before they even know Christ. We live our lives focused on a single mission: That is to bring people to know Him and to grow in Him. On our strategy map that looks like this: GO

Now listen! When I was growing up, I heard a lot of sermons about being “faithful” to Christ. That was always defined as coming to church to the four “events” that the church offered: Sunday school, Sunday morning worship, Sunday night worship, and Wednesday night Bible Study. Now, all of those were good things and they still are. By the way, if you want those things you can find them here. But it is not THOSE things that define faithfulness at this church! You see, if all you do is come to those events, you will not be intentionally developing relationships with lost people; you will probably not be holding anyone else accountable for their walk with God; and if you just attend those things, you will not be serving! Mere attendance is not faithfulness!

Pic - Map

So what is? What does it mean to really be a faithful disciple? Well, just follow the map. Embrace the strategy. Faithfulness is Corporate worship: I KNOW; Faithfulness is community accountability: I GROW; Faithfulness is Consistent Service: I SERVE; Faithfulness is connected discipleship: I GO. This is faithfulness and this is the strategy which will keep us focused and undistracted.

VIS

And this distraction is such a big problem for disciples of Christ. In data collected

from over 20,000 Christians in 139 countries (though mostly in America) and between the ages of 15 and 88, The Obstacles to Growth Survey found that, on average, more than 4 in 10 Christians around the world say they "often" or "always" rush from task to task. About 6 in 10 Christians say that it's "often" or "always" true that "the busyness of life gets in the way of developing my relationship with God." Christians most likely to agree were from North America, Africa, and Europe.

While busyness afflicts both men and women, the distraction from God was more likely to affect men than women in every surveyed continent except North America, where 62 percent of women and 61 percent of men reported busyness as interfering with their relationship with God.

By profession, pastors were most likely to say they rush from task to task (54 percent), which adversely affects their relationship with God (65 percent).

"It's tragic and ironic: the very people who could best help us escape the bondage of busyness are themselves in chains," said Dr. Michael Zigarelli, who conducted the study at the Charleston Southern University School of Business.

So, I probably need this message more than anyone else today. Distraction is one of the greatest obstacles to growth. How are you going to overcome it? Well, face your problems that could sabotage your future. Clearly prioritize the mission to which God has called you—make disciples. Last, embrace the strategy that will best help you focus on your calling: Know, Grow, Serve, and Go!

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