Living Like Nothing Is Coming

Opening Statement

Church, I want you to know this morning—Satan is in a constant battle for the souls of men. Jesus said in

John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

This past week we saw the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. A voice to an entire young generation was silenced. Let me be clear: Satan murdered one of God’s loudest voices to young people. And while the world is distracted by outrage, by politics, by fear—Satan is laughing, because distraction is his favorite weapon.

“Satan doesn’t just tempt us—he distracts us, slowly and methodically pulling our minds away from God.”

Over the last decade, what have we seen?

Satan has confused the beauty of gender.

He has blurred sexuality.

He has divided families.

He has hyper-elevated hate and intolerance toward one another.

These are not random cultural shifts—they are signs. Signs that the enemy is working overtime. Signs that Jesus is coming soon.

Paul wrote in

2 Timothy 3:1–5: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

Sound familiar? We are living it.

And that’s why I am here today—to make sure you are awake, alert, and ready. Today is the day we take the mask off. Today is the day we get real with the Lord. Today is the day we come clean about what distracts us.

“Today we don’t just hear God’s Word—we respond to it.”

This morning is about change. This morning is about readiness. This morning is about preparing for the return of Jesus Christ.

“What distracts you will eventually direct you.”

That’s what I want to show you today. As we open God’s Word, we’ll see that distraction is nothing new.

It marked the days of Noah. It marked the days of Lot. It marks the last days in which we live.

And if we’re not careful, it will rob us of intimacy with the Father and leave us unprepared for the return of Christ.

1: Distraction in the Days of Noah (Matthew 24:37–39)

Matthew 24:37–39 ESV

37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Notice what Jesus highlights. He doesn’t talk first about their wickedness. Instead, He points to everyday, ordinary things.

A: Ordinary life can blind eternal truth

Jesus doesn’t list wicked sins here. He doesn’t mention violence, corruption, or immorality—though those things were certainly present. Instead, He talks about ordinary things: eating, drinking, marriage, family.

What’s His point? That people will be so wrapped up in life as usual that they won’t notice eternity breaking in.

“Normal life can numb eternal truth.”

But it wasn’t just that they were living ordinary lives. The problem was they lived ordinary lives without God. That indifference led somewhere.

B: Indifference leads to unawareness

The text says, “they were unaware until the flood came.”

Think about that. Noah preached for decades. The ark was being built in plain sight. The warnings of judgment were there—but they were too distracted to care.

Illustration: Imagine someone standing at a railroad crossing. The warning lights are flashing. The bells are clanging. But they’re glued to their phone. They don’t look up until it’s too late. That’s the picture Jesus gives us of Noah’s generation—and of ours.

2: Distraction in the Days of Lot

If that was the condition in Noah’s day, Jesus takes it even further. He says it was the same in the days of Lot—busy, prosperous, distracted.

Luke 17:26–30 ESV

26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Listen to how Jesus describes Sodom. Eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building—life was full of activity.

A: Busyness masks danger

In Sodom, life looked prosperous. They were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. It was a busy city, full of activity and growth.

But prosperity blinded them to danger.

“Distraction blinds us until destruction finds us.”

But here’s the problem. All that busyness gave them a false sense of security. They thought they were safe because they were successful.

B: Prosperity doesn’t equal security

Sodom appeared strong, secure, thriving—until fire and sulfur rained down from heaven.

We make the same mistake. We confuse prosperity with safety. We think as long as the economy is strong, as long as we’re building and selling and buying, we’re secure. But prosperity can never shield us from the judgment of God.

Illustration: Think of the Titanic. People called it “unsinkable.” On the night it struck the iceberg, the passengers were eating, drinking, and dancing—even as the ship was sinking beneath their feet. Prosperity does not equal security.

3: Distraction in the Last Days

And just like in Noah’s day and in Lot’s day, Paul tells us the same thing will mark the last days—our days.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–6 ESV

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Paul says people will be saying, “peace and security.” Everything looks fine. But it’s a dangerous illusion.

A: False security lulls people to sleep

The world will be saying, “peace and security.” Everything looks fine. No need to worry. Live life as normal. But Paul says sudden destruction will come.

But in contrast, Paul says believers are children of light. That means our posture should be different.

“Children of the light can’t afford to sleep in the dark.”

B: Awake and sober living

To be awake means to live alert. To be sober means to live clear-headed. Paul contrasts a sleepwalking world with believers who are watchful.

Illustration: Think of a night watchman. Everyone else may sleep, but the guard’s very role is to stay awake. That’s what Paul is calling us to: lives marked by vigilance, not slumber.

So here’s the question: what does all of this mean for us personally? What’s at stake if we live distracted? The answer is this—distraction robs us of intimacy with the Father.

4: Distraction and Intimacy with the Father

Now we come to the heart of the matter. Distraction isn’t just dangerous because it blinds us to judgment. It’s dangerous because it robs us of intimacy with the Father.

“Imagine coming home and never speaking to your spouse—just scrolling your phone. Imagine sitting at dinner with your kids, but never really present. Your family would feel abandoned, even though you’re in the room. Isn’t that how many of us treat God? We’re in His presence, but our minds are elsewhere.”

This is speaking to us right, we are starting to get a little uncomfortable, that is what truth does, it makes us uncomfortable.

Think of it this way...

If your family is not getting all of you, what is God getting?

Our families need us to be engaged, they are desperate for it.

God, He has a different idea of what being in relationship with Him looks like. God has an order.

God-Husband

God wants all of you

God-Husband-Wife

God wants all of you and your wife.

God-Husband-Wife-Children

God wants all of you, all of your wife and all of your children.

“Intimacy with the Father cannot come to those who are not paying attention to Him.”

A: Distraction robs fellowship

You cannot be close to someone you consistently ignore. You cannot hear God’s voice if your ears are filled with noise. You cannot walk with Him if your eyes are glued elsewhere.

“God will not compete with your distractions.”

But the good news is this: when we lay down distractions, God invites us closer. Scripture is full of this invitation.

B: Laying aside distractions draws us near

Scripture is full of calls to put down distractions and draw close to God:

James 4:8 ESV

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Psalm 46:10 ESV

10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, 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, 2 looking 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.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 25:10–13 ESV

10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Only the wise virgins, who were attentive, entered the wedding feast.

Let’s go back to our family a moment: A father sitting in the living room, speaking to his child. He’s offering wisdom, affection, and guidance. But the child has headphones on, eyes glued to a screen. The father is near, but intimacy is impossible because the child isn’t paying attention. That’s how many of us live with God.

“You cannot be close to the Father if you’re too distracted to notice Him.”

So, what do we do with all this? We make a choice. We either keep living distracted lives, or we lay aside every weight and draw near to God, preparing our lives for His return.

The Ark and the Door

“In Noah’s day, God told him to build an ark, and the ark had one door. Every animal entered through that one door. Noah and his family entered through that one door. And when the flood came, those who were inside the ark were saved, and everyone outside perished. Only eight souls survived.

Jesus said in

John 10:9: ‘I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’

Just as the ark had one door, salvation today has one door—and His name is Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 — ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’

Acts 4:12 — ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’

Matthew 7:13–14 — ‘Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.’

Noah’s ark is a picture of Christ. Those who entered through the one door were saved. Everyone else perished. And today, we stand before that same door—Jesus Christ. He is the one way, the one truth, the one life. There is no other salvation outside of Him.

“The ark had one door. Today, salvation has one door—and His name is Jesus.”

“Church, the question is simple: Have you entered the door? Have you stepped through Jesus Christ into salvation? The floodwaters of judgment are coming. Don’t leave today distracted. Leave today devoted. Leave today ready.”