I want to speak to you this morning a message entitled, "Spiritual attention deficit disorder". Proverbs 5:1 says, "My son, pay attention to my wisdom, lend your ear to my understanding".
Father, we thank you for how good you are to us and we thank you for your wonderful presence in this place. Spirit of the living God, as we study your word this morning, I pray that you would give us ears to hear and that we would decrease and you would increase. In Jesus name, amen.
Pay attention, give me your undivided attention, look at me. These are words we say to our kids, to our spouse, to our students. There's a behavior disorder that's popular today called "A.D.D" or Attention Deficit Disorder. There's another one similar to that called "A.D.H.D" or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The truth is this, those with these difficulties have a hard time learning. They have a hard time focusing or paying attention and it truly affects every area of their life, from their education to their relationships.
Today, doctor's like to give kids all kinds of pills for that. When I was growing up they said I was hyperactive and wanted to give me Ridalyn and put me on it for a little while. I sat comatose in the corner, it drugged me up so much that I didn't want to do anything. How many know that's no way for a kid to spend their life? Listen, people with these dysfunctions start projects but are distracted by everything that's around them. They have trouble sitting still and staying structured and once they start something they have a hard time finishing it because they begin to get distracted by a lot of different things.
This disorder I believe is a close relative on the spiritual side. I call it spiritual attention deficit disorder. God gave this idea to me a while back and began to speak to me about it. I'm not here to make a diagnosis but as preachers we see things happening in the Body of Christ and aren't you glad that we have an answer from the Lord? I believe that it's affecting our nation and our churches on a wide scale. It's a spiritual condition I believe with a spiritual and a personal answer. There are many s.a.d.d. Christians today, those with a spiritual attention deficit disorder. I believe that what God is calling us to be is radical instead of s.a.d.d.
We have a difficult time paying attention to God because of the busyness of our schedules and the distractions of the world such as tv, movies, internet and radio. We have a generation today of multi-taskers, people who are involved in everything. As I began to ask God why this is so important at this time around Christmas, he said it's because there is so much to take our attention but the focus needs to be on Jesus. We have a generation of multi-taskers.
Someone was telling me a story of how they were pulled over a while back for running a stop sign and speeding. The police officer turned on the lights and pulled him over. When the officer asked him, "Did you realize that you just ran the stop sign and that you were speeding down the road?" The person just looked at him and said, "I have to apologize, I was talking on the phone, my dog was on my lap, I was turning down the volume on the radio and finishing my breakfast". The officer was so blown away by what that person just said that he gave him a break. That was a true story.
God warned us what would happen to Christians, he told us in the last days that there would be times where we would be so busy that we would begin to lose our focus on Jesus.
Matthew 13:20-22 says, "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, but has no root in himself. But only endures for awhile for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, he immediately stumbles. Now he who receives the seed among the thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful. But he who receives seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty". That is the word of God beginning to produce life in and through us.
Listen, tribulations are going to come, trials are going to come, we receive that word with joy but those who have the word of God in them and have it rooted in their life are not going to fall away. The thing I appreciate about John, when he didn't have the job that he was waiting for, he came to my office and said, "Pastor, I know that it's getting a little harey, but I trust God, God is going to do this and he's faithful". God was faithful, wasn't he? I love that in believers, I think that's one of the most exciting things that I hear. "God is going to see me through it, God is going to direct my every step". But those with s.a.d.d. need depth of spirit and need to be on guard against distractions because they're like those who heard the word and received it with joy but as soon as things start coming at them, they take their eyes off of what God said and begin to look at that distraction and the situation instead of seeing what God is doing.
It's amazing to me to see how God sets things up perfectly. How many of you have ever watched God put things in order? If we would just stop for a minute when we see our life beginning to get out of control, when we see things beginning to get off path just a little bit, if we would just keep our eyes on Jesus. The truth is those who have that word inside of them begin to see what God is doing, they can figure it out because they're paying attention. Have you ever noticed that if you don't pay attention and you don't concentrate on what you're doing, everything might seem more jumbled than they actually are? God has got it all under control.
The first step I believe in overcoming spiritual attention deficit disorder is to listen to the Lord.
Psalms 81:13 says, "Oh that my people would listen to me". How many of you have ever felt that same way about your children? "If my children would just listen". John 8:43 says, "Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are not able to listen to my word". That phrase "able to listen" does not speak so much of ability as it does to willingness. Sometimes in order to listen to somebody we must not always be doing everything else that we're doing, we need to focus on the one who's talking. That's what God is saying.
I have watched and dealt with kids with s.a.d.d. and hyperactivity disorder and the first thing that I will tell them when I'm working with them or adults who have it and I see adults with it all the time, they just can't seem to sit still. We'll be talking but their mind is going every which way. Some of you are married to people like that. I'll just look at them and say, "Listen, stop. The reason you're not hearing what I'm saying, the reason you're not understanding what I'm speaking is because you're not paying attention. Your mind is somewhere else and your body is here. Come back".
The reason you don't understand what I'm saying is because you need to be willing. God says, "Give me your undivided attention". What attention does is it filters out all the stimuli in our environment and it helps us to focus on what's important. I have found that when I'm watching the Pittsburgh Steelers play that my attention is squarely focused on what's going on in the game. The truth is the house could start burning down around me and I really don't know what's going on. The reason why my wife now stands in front of the television when she wants my attention when I'm watching a game is because she knows that if I don't look at her and give her that attention then everything else is a distraction from that. How many know she's a smart woman? She won't get frustrated anymore, she'll just get right in there and make me listen. Wives, listen, husbands are pretty simple. If you want their attention, get in their way and make them listen and that's ok.
Psalms 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God". I love that Psalm, we sang it for the first time last Sunday because the truth is we do serve a wonderful God. Sometimes we forget how good and how marvelous he really is because we start looking at everything else.
Many with s.a.d.d. complain that they don't know God and they never see him work or hear him speak. Just be still for a little while and listen. The truth is that many of us hear God talking but we don't know what he is saying. We know he's saying something but we don't know what it is and God is saying, "Just be still". I want to tell you that he is worth listening to. If we would take the time to just be with the Lord we would begin to see how wonderful he really is, how everything in our life is really being put into place.
How many of you have been through situations that you just didn't understand and all of a sudden when you got on the other side of it you could look back and see exactly what God did? When I was younger I used to find that happening and it used to surprise me and God said, "If you would actually be still before me for a little while you will see what I'm doing and not have to have 20/20 hindsight. If you will listen to my voice you can see what I'm doing before you even get there. Even if it's just the next step, I'll make it plain to you".
I believe that one of the purposes of spiritual attention deficit disorder is to get us so busy that we forget what's important. It gets us off track, it gets us out of our walk with God, it gets our minds off our families and even from really knowing what's important to God anymore. The truth is that we need to focus on what God is doing. A long time ago farmers realized when they used to farm with animals instead of tractors how important it was to put blinders on horses and mules and oxen to get the work done. I remember when we were growing up in Pittsburgh we had an Amish community nearby and they still farmed with horses and mules. As a matter of fact they're amazing people, they work so hard. I remember when I was a kid we went out to the working farm on a bus and we got to ride in a horse and buggy. Still today if you watch them, the horses have blinders so that they follow the road and they don't get off track. If the horse doesn't have that direction they'll just go every which way and you'll have a hard time steering.
I believe that as Christians we need to make sure we put on the blinders. Look straight ahead and look to Jesus.
Proverbs 4:26-27 says, "Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Don't swerve to the left or the right, keep your feet from evil".
The Bible says to only take ways that are firm, that are stable. Don't go on unstable ground and don't take slippery slopes. Keep on those things that you know, keep focused. How many of you have found that getting involved in this and getting involved in that and all of a sudden life gets off track? You know in your heart you shouldn't have been stepping in that direction but you took your eyes off the prize, took your eyes off of Jesus. Our spiritual sensors weren't in check with Jesus and we began to have an attention deficit. We need to keep our eye on the ball.
Today in our world are troubled marriages. Pastors now are issuing 30 day and 7 day sex challenges to the church, telling their people if you want a more romantic marriage you need to make sure you have sex with your spouse everyday for the next week or everyday for 30 days. Listen, I believe those men have spiritual attention deficit disorder. The issue at hand is not the need for more heroes or sexual love but more agape love. How many understand that what we need in our marriages is not more romance and more sex but more true love and paying attention, unselfish communication built on respect and relationship, not on urges. It's about truly loving and caring for each other. The church today is getting their eye off the ball.
Many of those with s.a.d.d. forget that church growth is more about maturity than size. I'm excited about what God is doing in the two services but the truth is, some of you have asked me, "Pastor, what's happening in the 10:30 service because we're coming to the 8:30?" I want to tell you what would happen if you came to the 10:30 service, there would be no room. We would be past the hallway. How many of you are thankful for what God is doing in this church? What I understand is this, what God has called us to build is not a big church, although I believe that will happen because good churches are growing churches. I believe that what God has called us to build are disciples. There are churches all over the place of great size but are we making a difference? That's what God wants to know. Are people being changed?
Listen, we need to keep our eye on the ball. Many of us are so wrapped up in the confusion of life that we have lost focus that God is still good. We walk around with a doomsday mentality. It is bad out there but how many of you have Jesus living right in here? I want you to listen to me, focus for just a minute, God is still on the throne and he's the King of our life. It doesn't matter who's in the White house, it doesn't matter what happens to our economy. He's still our God, he's still going to take care of us. He's still the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Some of you have just discovered that you are in a recession. All over America they're telling us we've been in a recession for a year and now everybody is getting upset. Well you weren't upset when you didn't know that a year ago. It doesn't change anything, he's still God. I don't care if the world is in a recession, God is still going to feed us and take care of us. Pay attention, God is still good. Look at the good that is going on in your life, look at the good that God still does inside of each and every one of us. He is faithful. I have found this, that there are times things in my life do not go well but for every one thing that's not going well there are many many things that are going just fine and God has got all the other things in hand.
I had read this verse a few months ago and I felt the Lord wanted me to speak it again. Phillipians 4:8 says this, "Finally brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things".
Think about them, get them in your heart. How many know that God has been good to you? He's been good to us. Pay attention. I believe that this is some of the greatest advice that we could ever have, to meditate on those things that are right.
Part of the problem with s.a.d.d. is the determination that I can function without help. With a.d.d. they have a little pill, they call it Aderol or Ridalyn. Some of those with a.d.d. or a.d.h.d, although there are many who are being overmedicated today but I believe there are times when people need some help. For the Christian, those with s.a.d.d., we have the Holy Spirit, he's our helper.
A while back when I was working with Real Life Children's Ranch, I was really against any kids taking medication. I'm not here to justify this or talk about meds, I just want to give you an illustration. One of the kids we had weaned off of the meds and when he went back to school he had done well with his grades, gone from making B's, to A's and B's. But a year later he got into the classroom and he just couldn't focus. He said, "Uncle Marvin, I just can't focus, I get it, I understand but my mind is moving 100 miles an hour". So we made sure that he got back on the Ridalyn and before we knew it he was focused and able to get back into his work. Sometimes we need help. Those with s.a.d.d. need to understand, we get overloaded by life and sometimes we get overloaded by what God is doing and it can lead to frustration and determination.
By trying to do everything on our own without help, it's prideful. Sometimes those with it say, " I don't need any help, I don't need God to do anything". The truth is this, not one of us, whether we're going through the good times or the bad times can do this without Jesus. How many know exactly what I'm saying? People say, "I don't understand how other people can do this without the Lord". The truth is, they're not. Life is a mess, they're having a hard time getting through things. But those with s.a.d.d, sometimes we get to the place where we say, "I can do this, I should be able to do this on my own by now" and we get frustrated. There are times when we need to get self out of the way and we need to enlist God's help so that we can accomplish what he has for us and sort out the world's noise.
Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogance and the evil way".
What we need to learn is if we have pride in our life and we think we can do this on our own and we're struggling through and our prayer life is suffering and our time in the word is suffering and we're frustrated about the way things are going and there's the determination to go on but we're not taking the time to seek the help of the Lord. I want you to listen to me, you need his help. Focus, get back in the word, get back into prayer. When I saw this, God wasn't just talking about getting evil out of the way, he was talking about the pride and the arrogance. Pride is, "I can do it on my own". You know what arrogance is? Arrogance is pride with an attitude. It says, "Not only can I do it on my own but I'm mad and frustrated and I'm going to do this thing and I know things are going to get better". How many know the way to move on with God is to get that out of the way? When we find things not working and we have a bad attitude with those who love us and those who have the best intentions or even with the Lord, we need to refocus our attention. Why? Because when we don't get pride out of the way, that's when we get into trouble.
Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall".
I believe this is part of the enemy's thing by getting us so distracted, so caught up with stuff, so frustrated, and God is saying, "Listen, come back and put me first". Lose the attitude and begin to just go on with Jesus, regardless of the attacks and the mishaps and distractions around us, we must realize that that never negates our taking responsibility for our actions and choices.
A few years after that boy I was working with got back on the Aderol, he went to school and started getting A's and B's again and then he started getting into trouble at school. One day he looked at me and said, "The reason I had trouble today was because I forgot to take my pill this morning". I said, "If you can remember that you didn't take your pill then you can remember that you have to obey your teacher. If you're going to blame it on the pill, if you can recognize that you didn't do that, then it's time to realize that you have to take responsibilities for your actions. If you can grasp that idea then you can grasp this idea". How many know it was time to wean him off the pill? We were going back the other direction because I realized he understood it, I knew he could do it. If you can remember to go to the Lord in prayer and seek his face then we can remember that we can learn to respond correctly to what God is doing. There's no excuses. If I can hurt someone while driving a car and multi-tasking, it is my fault regardless of the distractions. The truth is this, in my spiritual life, I must be responsible to make sure that my attention is on the Lord and If I don't take responsibility for that regardless of the distractions then it's my fault that I wound up in that place.
Romans 14:10-12 says, "Why do you judge your brother or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ, for it is written, as I live says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God, so then each of us shall give an account of himself to the Lord".
Something powerful happens when we take responsibility for our life. It forces us to focus on what God is doing in our life and our response to it. I want to say this to the church, the greatest ability that any of us will ever have is our responsibility. It's the greatest ability God has given any of us. Our responsibility is to be in his word, to listen to his voice and to obey it. We're able to choose our responses and we're able to choose our attitudes. There are some today saying, "Well it doesn't feel like Christmas". Listen, Christmas isn't a feeling, it's a celebration. The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of the holy spirit inside of you, it's not a feeling or an emotion about the time. If you want the emotion or the feeling, burn some wonderful smelling wreath candles in your house, put some pine under the doors, make yourself some hot cocoa, crank down the air conditioner, put on the lights and sing jingle bells until you puke. It will get you into the mood and help you out just a little bit. But our attitude about the season is our attitude alone and we either serve Jesus or we don't, it's a celebration not a feeling.
Winston Churchill says, "Responsibility is the price for greatness". If you want to be great in God's Kingdom, be the servant of all, is what Jesus said. It's a choice.
I've got to tell you, I'm not quite sure what I'm preaching on next week yet. I might preach on this idea of your greatest ability is responsibility on the week before Christmas. How many know Jesus took responsibility for us? How we handle stress, what we do in our relationships, how we make choices is up to us. Daniel Webster said, "The greatest revelation that he ever had in his life wasn't how to find the definition of another word, it was that I am personally and individually responsible to God for my life". When he began to grasp that things began to change for him and he began to influence people. Every time you pick up a dictionary and look at how to spell a word or what a word means, I pray that you'll realize that what the greatest revelation that man had is that he was responsible for himself and he said that God showed him.
I believe that God wants us to break this affliction of spiritual attention deficit disorder in the church. So how do you do that in your life? When you've got so many distractions going on, when you've got so many things happening around you, how do you settle down? Pay attention to the Lord and understand this, 2nd Corinthians 12:9, "And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest on me". I have found this, if you will let God's grace be forgiveness for you, you'll go from s.a.d.d. to glad in a heartbeat. I wanted to have an acronym for glad but I couldn't think of one.
Let me ask you, do you have spiritual attention deficit disorder? Are you having a hard time focusing on what God is doing? How's your attitude about what's going on? Have you taken responsibility for the things that God has put in your life and are you trusting in Him to see you through the things you can't control? If you will, then you will move from having that disorder to having your life ordered in the Lord and having your focus on Jesus. How many know God can break this affliction in the church? We can recognize the things that are going on in our lives are from Him and that he is good and faithful everyday.
