Don't Let Me Get Distracted

Philippians 2:12-18

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

In life it is so easy to get distracted, to move off course. As a matter of fact, sometimes it takes full concentration to stay focused. I’m not sure how many of you are like me, where one minute your mind is focused on one thing and all it takes is a distraction to take your mind off the task at hand. Life in the church is no different, not at all. If we don’t stay focused on God, it is easy to drift off into the wrong direction.

We must admit, while we have been away from the physical building it was easy for us to stray from the task at hand. But what is that task, how many of you remember the task, of serving pleasing God and serving others.

If we must focus on the Words of Jesus, then we must always remember that one of the first things that He said to those that were to become His disciples was this.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life f will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Notice He didn’t give an order, He made a statement. That whoever. Well many of us have forgotten that following Jesus is a choice. In all things Jesus, He wants it to be our choice. Because He is a good God, when He speaks on taking up our cross, He wanted you to know that following Him is a sacrifice.

Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him. I am giving us this refresher today, because many of us may have forgotten, the cost of apply for the Job of being a disciple.

I am giving some discouraging news today, because no one, wants to deny self, that has a big price to deny oneself, it could have some negative effects on who we are (I’m talking about in the flesh). Denying Self and then pick up our cross and following Jesus.

But have you forgotten, that although there is a price to follow Jesus? That the payout in the end is Life. I need a Christian to give an Amen, right here. To deny yourself, lay down your cross and to follow Jesus, gives us ever lasting life. Amen.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Denying self, simply means that don’t think of yourself so high and mighty in your needs, think of Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven and then your earthly brothers and sisters. The bible never said that you can’t have fun or riches on this earth. His Word saves that He is our Life and everything that represents Him, is our life.

If you want to save your life, you will be willing to lose it. To all of the earthly things, including sacrifice for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let me help you, on that real quick. If I you saw me on the street in my clergy attire and then you saw a mob attacking me, calling me a Jesus freak. What would you do? I mean this is a BIG OLD MOB, an anti-Jesus MOB. What would you do, would you walk by or drive by and say, that look like Rev. Jones. Maybe you will wait till you get home and turn on the news to see or would you be willing to lay down your life for a brother (in persecution), one fighting for the truth, would you be willing to deny self, pick up your cross and follow Jesus. You see, because when you or I see, our fellow Brother or Sister in Need and we walk on by, it has nothing to do with our brother or sister, BUT EVERYTHING to do with JESUS.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Jesus laid down His life to save a wretch, like you and me, that’s Love. That’s Love.

Rev. Jones, where are you going with this? I’m just saying today’s message is a reminder of what God wants from the church.

How many of you know that the mission of the church is:

1. To make Disciples

2. To Glorify Jesus Christ

3. To Build-up the Saints

We can’t forget that we are the church and that although we have a physical building and an online presence that we are the church, and we all have a mission, Amen.

Today is just a refresher family, of who we are in Christ. We must work together and not against each other in the works of or dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today is communion Sunday and there is something else that we must remember. So that we are not hypocrites in Christs.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

If Jesus loves us so much, that He is willing to forgive us and commune with us, then why can’t we deny self and pick up our cross and forgive others.

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Rev. Jones, why are you sounding like a broken record. Why because Jesus Loves you and so do I. I don’t want you to take coming to this communion table today, lightly.

We must stay focused on the mission of the church. How can we Glorify Jesus when we ourselves are deep in division? How can we sing and praise God, when we still have darkness in our hearts and on our lips? Can someone give God and, Amen, right here.

One of the biggest weapons that the enemy has when fighting God’s people is distraction. If he can keep our minds focused on the world and not on God, then he believes he can win the battle, but he cannot and will not win the battle against the kingdom of God. But He can consume a soldier. Distraction puts you behind enemy lines, and when you are behind enemy lines you are in grave danger of losing your life forever.

I’m not ready to die family, but when God calls me home, I want to be ready. You see, when you go behind enemy lines because you were distracted, and I know this. I have a job, and that is to try to bring you back. Notice I said try. I am going to come at you with the Word of God and pray that you are hearing it. To Love God, with all your heart, soul and mind, To Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Family we can’t get distracted, we have a mission, and that mission is to be the church.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life f will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

I started out with Paul’s letter to the church of Philipi, he could not be with them because he was in jail. I want us to compare Paul to our ancestors, that got us rooted in Christ. While they can’t be with us, they never want us to be distracted.

Philippians 2:12-18

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Let us Pray