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ArthurRosh
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Joined: 2011/9/26
Posts: 940


 What Distracts Us - K.P. Yohannan

What Distracts Us - K.P. Yohannan

Somehow I think in all our life, unless we constantly remind ourselves of the purpose, the reason, the focus, we can lose sight of the most important thing. The power of focus is so incredible that we see throughout the Scripture, also from the life of Jesus. And you know, some four thousand years, Christ would wait for the time of the Father to come to earth, to die on the cross. And before the world began he knew this was going to happen, the Lamb that was slain before the world began, and so he knew that. Yet as he came to earth, you will find from day one how much distractions he faced that would take him away from the purpose for which he came.

The forty days of fasting and prayer and then the temptation that was offered to him to take a shortcut. Then you know how the Greeks came to Jesus, if you read the context of the Scripture, basically you have to read into it. I first learned about that after I listened to Dr. Stanley Jones, that is, hearing about the opposition Christ was faced with, the possible death that he would have to face, the Greeks came pleading with him to come away with them to be their philosopher, their teacher. And this is where Christ responds, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it remains as it is, but if it dies it brings forth much fruit (John 12:24).

And you know his brothers and his sisters and his mother came in one place trying to take him away by force thinking that basically he's out of his mind, he's in trouble. And then he would respond, both times saying, who is my father, who is my brother who is my sister, those who do the will of my Father (Matthew 12:50, Mark 3:35). Another time he said those who obey (Luke 8:21).

So you find in the life of Christ, he faced this. Now when the Bible says, he is a high priest who can sympathize with us for he was tempted in all things that we are (Hebrews 4:15), a casual reader who don't think deep enough may read it and walk over it, but if you sit down and think about what is the thing that troubles you the most? What is the thing that discourages you the most? What are things that causes you to stumble so easily, what are the things that make you feel so sad cry yourself to sleep and whatever things that are so strong temptation that you're fighting for your life from giving into it and have a shipwreck of life. For he experienced all these things yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15) so he can help us in the time of need.

Now if you leave it like that without going further we may miss the point. The point is, why temptation? Why struggle? Why setback? Why agony? It was all for the purpose of trying to deviate him from the one reason for which he came. That's the whole thing about it. And this is the reason why I have to often sit down and think about what it's all about. Some of the decisions I make about where I should go, where I should not go and what I should do, should not do is really based on: is this what the Lord called me to do, is this thing going to contribute to fulfilling the call God gave me to do or is it going to be something else.

Sometime ago I was called to attend an international meeting of Christian leaders from almost every country in the world and my invitation was to represent India and speak on the behalf of the church and it was something that honestly, every way you look at it logically it is a fantastic thing, but I sat down and thought through this deep enough, it was a horrendous temptation to say yes to it, to be in the limelight but in my private heart I said, this is going to take me away from that cause, even for the short time. There are benefits, there are things but I weighed carefully whether I made the right decision or not, honestly I can tell you I found peace in the end. Well I said I'm glad I didn't do that. Not that another time, the Lord will say, you go to that and I would definitely want to do that, it's not that every time you have to do the same thing or not do the same thing.

So what I want somehow to share with you, you know, being in a place like this, morning prayer meeting, Tuesday night and Friday night and all day working and kids going around with the little book writing prayer requests and talking about Manja and talking about the kids, you know the Dalit children, I mean it look like we a bunch of koo-koos, you know, look like we drink and eat and sleep and dream and wallow in the same stiff atmosphere, this is all we can think about. It this a healthy thing, is this the way to live, is this all about life?

Well I think it depends on who is asking, it depends on who is answering and what perspective you have. For example if our life on earth is a very temporary season, especially when you hit fifty, I tell you, this really hits home, if you are not yet aware of that. But what I'm saying to you, think about your grandparents, your great-grandparents. Where are they? I have not even seen them. You maybe, but where are they? Where are your grandparents, where are your parents? Are they alive? Well it's a matter of few years if Jesus doesn't come back or rapture doesn't take place, definitely you are history as I am history.

So if even our carnal reason tells us we are here but for a very short time, then we have to ask the question, what it's all about. You don't have to be a philosopher for all that, that is, we are made for eternity not for time. And if this book is all that is there to tell us what God is thinking about us and what life is all about, the whole thing, even the wisest, the richest of all men on the planet, Solomon says in chapter twelve, Ecclesiastes, the end of all this is this: fear God and do what he says (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

If you take this whole Bible it has only two things to talk about. One is Christ's first coming, second is Christ's second coming, there is nothing else. These whole sixty-six books is about that. So if that is the case, we have a short time, the Lord's coming soon, our life on earth is but for a very little time, eternity is where we are heading for. If the whole Bible talks about Christ's first coming and second coming, if you analyze this whole thing, it is all about seeing a group of people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, to be prepared to reign with him forever and ever, a bride for His Son.

If that be the case, the question is asked, what are you doing here, what am I doing here, what is our life all about? I think the answer is very simple, I am given the highest honor, privilege, of all privileges on earth, to serve Jesus, to see people come to know him, especially from a world that never heard his name. Especially in a time when people are crying out saying, come and help us, we don't know how to. If that is the kind of world we are living in then I think it is such an incredible privilege to serve him and so brothers and sisters it is our tremendous privilege and honor the Lord has given us to be a peculiar people, to be a strange people, to be wacko a little bit if that's what you want to call it, Keith Green's language: gone bananas for Jesus. You know, to be a group of people set apart, saying no to a lot of things for the sake of the elect.

Now if that be the reason and the purpose for which we are here, does that mean it's going to help us to survive till the end, no I don't think so. I think one of the struggles we face is if the devil could get you to stay away from the call, if the devil could fight hard enough and you gave in and you didn't get in the battle, didn't get in the place of throwing away everything to follow the Lord, what happens as he always does to me to you, it is, along the way he will do everything possible to wear us out. In Daniel it talks about wearing out the saints (Daniel 7:25). It is like an ax you take and the tree is so huge, just one chop the tree never falls but chop after chop after chop, continually non-stop, wearing out the saints, until you simply want to give up or get out of the battle or slow down or take a side-road or whatever else. And Jesus faced that, let's not make a mistake with that, and we will face the same thing. And many that followed Jesus, keep in mind they came out with good intentions, but when things got rough, the distractions became too strong, they wouldn't make it, and you know that to be true. And many, the majority walked away.

Paul talks about Demas and several other people in second Timothy. In the very last, after having journeyed so long Paul says, and having loved this present world he, that's Demas, left me also (2 Timothy 4:10). Distractions that took over.

So here is what I want to make this statement: you and I will face, throughout our life, distractions from the enemy to slow us down, to make our heart grow cold, to lose our focus, our eyes become kind of foggy. Unless you are diligent and be vigilant and be objective and critical about your own feelings and emotions and other people's voices and either your wife or husband or whatever, I can tell you, you can become blind, not completely, but then you don't see things so clearly. So the finish line, the focus, the endgame, the rapture, eternity, being with the Lord, and millions and billions that no man can number, none of those things become anymore important and we become shortsighted.

Nehemiah, he was commissioned to go and build the wall, very unselfish his ambition was, but distractions came, the prophets spoke so. And there was actually a threat to his own life saying, don't take it light, come let's talk about it. And then so many voices and in the end said, you guys go and get lost—I'm paraphrasing it. He said, a man like me to come down, no way, I got a job to do, you guys do whatever, I'm going to stay on, carry a weapon in my hand and the work on the other hand I will keep doing it, that's how I'll finish the work. I mean it's amazing if you read through the book of Nehemiah, the tremendous amount of distractions he faced.

Paul had to say this in Acts twenty: none of these things move me (Acts 20:24). The prophecy that came that you're going to be bound up and beaten, abused and all those things, they were not lying, they were true prophecies, literally, and Paul believed it. So you want actually, knowing that you're going to be beaten up and abused, you want to go into that thing. Paul said ya, and the reason Paul? I do not think of myself too much. If I die, that's fine. If through my death I can finish the work the Lord gave me to do, that's all it is. And so distractions can be not just, you know, people offering you a nice job and more money and better housing and all this different things, no. Distractions also can be difficulties and problems and trials and all these things we all face.

And I say this to you because some people think the older you are in the ministry, the more theology you know, the more Bible you know, the more seasoned leader you are, the more things get easy. It is not true really it is not, it gets only harder, it is not easy. Paul was able to stay focused in spite of all the struggles he faced simple because he saw the end. Remember second Timothy says, Timothy I ran the race and I fought my battle so well, I finished my course, now there waits for me a crown, not only for me but those who love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8). You see the key? The key was, he saw something at the end of the line, that is, something more precious: Jesus and his call and he would stay focused.

Now for us, what is our call here? It's a very unique call. We talk about the ten-forty window, we talk about the three hundred million Dalits and the possibility of who knows, half a million children. All you need to do just type: Dalit persecution, pages after pages after pages after pages after pages after pages of twenty-four, Dalits being lynched, cut into pieces. A young mother was stripped naked walking through the village, and in the end beat her to death. Her crime? Her son made fun at an upper-caste boy or girl in the community. Ten people butchered because they drew water from the well. And stories not one or two, it's just never ending pages. And no wonder why they're crying out in one voice, we are tired of this, we are quitting. And this is an incredible, awesome privilege the Lord gave us.

So let me conclude in the next five minutes by saying, what are some other distractions specifically you and I may face in our journey in serving God especially here. One, cares of this life. Jesus said that, nothing new. India, China, Germany, Canada or California, wherever you may be from, we as humans beings will always face these kind of things and brothers ans sisters I would encourage you to think about it. Is the sale signs, the garage sales and the attractions and all the mega-shops and all those things, keep on calling you to buy things and invest your life and time, are you getting crowded out.

Half the world go to bed with literally empty stomach and naked bodies and we need to be cautious and I need to be cautious how much stuff we need and how much we have that we keep on using it. Please keep your life simple because these are distractions that take so much of your time. And since I got three of four neckties now, it don't take much time figuring out which one to wear, the time I had seventy it took me half hour or more. I'm not saying only have for neckties, you can have all you want but I'm telling you, I'm telling you, all you have is little time.

How much of your time are you spending taking care of your personal life, your children, your family, your cooking, when you realize the reality we live with in this world: of millions slipping away into Christ-less eternity on a daily basis. It is too painful, let us not lose focus on that, it's very important. And to the Lord give you wisdom, I cannot dictate to you how you should do this, its none of my business on earth, its not anybody's business, but you ask the Lord to give you wisdom. I tell you what, you will never sacrifice too much for the Lord and accept suffering for which he will not take care of you. He is never your debtor. But you go after constantly, your health, your welfare, your children, your wholesomeness, you keep on doing it, in the end you will find it's emptiness. I advise you to be sober, not to lose sight of that which God has called you for.

Second distraction: relatives and friends. No greater distraction you will face in life, someone said, as much as well meaning parents, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, co-believers, who will counsel you with so many wonderful Bible verses to keep you from embracing the cross and going forward. They cannot face it. William Carey did not have friends, even his own wife said, you go your way and I'm staying here. If that be the case, you need to know there are times when the best well meaning friends will advise you, they'll cut into the call of God and you have to be discerning about it. And again, this is not somebody can make a decision for you, it's up to you.

Third, the preoccupation with yourself, I call it introspection ok. I speak English you speak Texan. That is, there are people who never see victory in their life because they're always thinking about themself, you know, I'm not good enough, I'm not strong enough, I don't read Bible enough, I don't fast enough, you know, I don't have faith enough. All they can think about is the negative things, the lack in their life and that's a trip of the enemy. I'm telling you what, till the very last minute of your life on earth you'll still be imperfect. After twenty years of preaching Paul said, I'm the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). If somebody says they are holy people, they have no sexual temptations, they always pray, fast, I tell you they're liars usually. The people who pretend to be more holy usually got more problems than anybody else. And I'm not saying we shouldn't talk about the good things in life God has given to us but let's be honest we are human beings but we need to stay focused trusting in him, as George Verwer said, nine looks at Jesus and one look at yourself. Don't look nine times at yourself and then one look at Jesus trying to make it, no, look at Jesus ten times and look at yourself one time because he's making us, we are not yet there, so please don't let the enemy come and show up with a whole bunch of struggles you have in the past or now, whatever, say listen, you keep moving ok, that's what it's all about, ok.

The next thing, majoring on minor things and get sucked in the present and lose sight of the goal for which the Lord called you. You know, this is a very interesting thing, when we are taking a trip from here to New York or Los Angeles wherever, you know, you get in the care and go, the journey is not easy, you know, the pot holes, the delays and car wrecks and all kind of things and you can get so preoccupied with the events along the way and then you lose focus where you're going. And in our life there will be disagreements with coworkers, there will be disappointments, there will be misunderstanding, there will be setbacks, there will be some struggles you will face in life and all kind of things but let not those things blind you from the most important thing, what is that? To see a world come to Christ. But what I'm saying, you can get so brainwashed with all these issues that you lose sight of nearly two hundred thousand people dying everyday and plunging into hell and we spend more time agonizing, arguing over these stupid things and don't have one day to fast and pray and weep before God for the lost world, where are we? See how the enemy can trip us up with all these different things. As long as we live there is going to be struggles we face, all kinds of things, but lets label much of these things under distractions from the enemy to keep us from seeing the lost world come to Christ.

 2011/10/10 1:27Profile
ArthurRosh
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Joined: 2011/9/26
Posts: 940


 Re: What Distracts Us - K.P. Yohannan

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