Distracted | Associate Pastor Chad Erickson
by Chad Erickson
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Matthew 5:39, Colossians 3:2, 1 Samuel 17:29, 1 Samuel 17:22-23, 1 Samuel 17:8-10, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Samuel 17:28-29, Proverbs 18:19, 1 Samuel 17:29, 1 Samuel 17:50-51, 2 Timothy 4:2, Romans 10:14-15, Mark 16:15, Ephesians 4:11-12

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/chad-erickson--distracted
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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let's stand to our feet and again want to welcome along with with Pastor Carpenter all of our guests there in the house amen I saw the chesh on we love we love the chesh On's Pastor in Crossfield Tennessee thank you so much they have a morning service and so they're able to be with us on some Sundays and we we count that in honor that you're here um so good glad to have my older brother John uh in the house with us so thankful his family is here this week uh this weekend had a beautiful baby dedication this morning and he dedicated uh had his his granddaughter dedicated and uh just so thankful he is here tonight I love him appreciate him so much Matthew chap 5 and verse 39 as you're turning there I'm going to read a couple other scriptures but I promise you uh you probably will not have time to find my other uh texts tonight but that's okay because they will be on the screen but Matthew 5:39 simply says this but I say unto you that ye he resists not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other also we're going to we're going to preach about that in a moment and then Colossians 3 and2 says set your affection on things above and not things on the earth and if I could share the iron translation of this simply it means set your focus on God and don't get distracted by things here on Earth one more verse 1st Samuel 17:29 we're going to be we're going to be uh preaching about this story one of my one of my favorite stories the Bible says and David said what have I now done is there not a cause is there not a cause my title is one word distracted can like some of y'all are distracted that there's a 50 yard line on this title the enemy of focus is distraction and I realize that there's some here that are not going to hear much that I preach tonight because about 30 minutes ago uh a football was kicked from one team to another but that's okay if you could just give me just a few minutes listen this there's distractions in life we're going to have to deal with distractions but I believe even distractions Super Bowl distractions I believe we can get through you think you can get through that tonight if I if I promise you that I'd only preach about I don't know about 20 25 minutes I I got my timer going woo come on now some of y'all felt the Holy Ghost some of y'all felt like you're like we're going to get out of here before halftime distractions always require Focus right they require our Focus they take our focus and I want to clarify our focus and I'm going to preach about a little while but please if you will stay with me just for a few minutes matter of fact turn to your neighbor neighbor and say don't distract me now now turn to the neighbor that you didn't prefer and tell them say you better not be checking the score you may be seated in the house tonight brother Hammond I I feel and I'm trying to remember I feel like it's a strong tower Youth Camp service or something I don't know what would have been happening in June but I I remember walking down the aisle and I saw so many phones with the game playing as I was walking down the aisle it was the funniest thing I've ever seen and uh I don't hold it against the young people I'm sure they're worshiping they were just you know there distraction they're just a little distraction um but tonight maybe maybe we won't have to do that but I promise you I I'm only one thing standing between you and the Super Bowl and I'm going to be very very quick I want to start with this our adversary the devil will always present us with a false enemy to distract us from our true enemy that's right if you don't catch anything else catch that cuz you're not going to go where I'm going unless you get to see our adversary the devil will always present us with a false enemy yes to distract us from the true enemy the en our enemy is the devil right our enemy is the devil I want to preach out David showed us he the valley of eliw we we know the valley of eliw because this is where David fought Goliath or it wasn't much of a fight this is where David killed Goliath but but David shows us more than just how to kill a giant I began to read the story again because you know I love David David was a worship leader David was a man after God's Own Heart David fulfilled all the will of God and I want to be that type of person I want to be the type of person that understands that that you can you can fight for things then you can write songs and sing about things right you can give advice at the same time you could be a man of war but first matter of fact turn with me to 1st Samuel chapter 17 and I promise you we're going to get moving in just a moment verse 22 it says this it says David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper and ran into the army and came and saluted his brethren we understand that his father had had has had told him to take food to his three eldest brothers who were fighting with Saul's Army against the Philistines in verse 23 says and and as he talked with them behold there came up the champion I want you to see that right there this Philistine of gath Goliath by name out of the armies of the Philistines and spake according to the same words that David had heard them and all of the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him and were sore afraid but allow me to read exactly what David when he walked in on because uh verse 8 of chapter 17 if we go back to verse eight it says and he talking about Goliath this 9 foot tall giant stood and cried under the armies of Israel and said unto them why are you out come out to set your battle in Array am I not a Philistine and your Servants of the Saul and choose you a man for you and let him come down to me and if he be able to fight with me and kill me then we will be your servants but if I Prevail against him and kill him then shall ye be our servants and you shall serve us and the Philistines said and here we go this is what got David I defy the armies of Israel this day he said give me a man that may fight to we may fight together and when Saul and all of Israel heard those words from the philistin they were dismayed and they were greatly afraid and so the Bible tells us for 40 days Goliath challenged the Israelites and defied the god of the Israelite Army morning and Night 40 days the giant roared I just guess I got a question tonight is there anybody in this place anticipating your 41st day I I feel like I remember a a message from our pastor about the 41st day listen 40 days your giant might be screaming at you and yelling at and taunting you and talking trash to you but I'm so thankful there's a 41st day coming the darkest maybe the the night might be darkest before the morning but morning's coming I said morning is coming the 41st day is on the way listen we've been towering down among rock formations long enough we've been wondering how we're going to get out of this ugly predicament that we've been in long enough the enemy has been making too much noise long enough but I'm thankful again for the 41st day I want to preach this a little bit cuz I know how well it preach for pastor we need a 41st day in our lives anybody sick and tired of being sick and tired waking up every day the very same thing the very same problems the very same situation the very same trial maybe the very same Temptation and you're just ready for the 41st day you're sick of hiding you're sick of cowering down you're sick of feeling defeated you just want to be victorious the 401 day it's coming so we pick up the story right here with the Israelites they're terrified oh they're shaking in their boots and and I like this because The Message Bible and and I always I I love to read in the Old Testament I like to read what The Message Bible says about these stories because it brings out facts sometimes that King James doesn't bring out but right here in the story it gives a two-word sentence it simply says enter David just those two words enter David and it reminds me kind of like a if if you've ever been in a in a Broadway show or you've ever acted in high school I was in the drama club and I did some acting and they would always have in parentheses what the character was doing before they spoke and that's what you would see a lot of times you would just see it would say enter David and then David would begin to speak but right here when those two words when I read those in that translation those two words I thought to myself woo Goliath didn't know what was coming his way because everybody else was hiding everybody else was terrified the king listen the King Saul was the tallest of the tall he was the tallest one in the land they chose him to be king because he was Head and Shoulders above everybody else he looked like a king he was strong he was a warrior he was the gu he was the Israelite that they looked to as a leader and even he was trembling he was scared he was terrified but enter David enter the anointed enter a real man of God enter a worshipper enter appr praiser the anointed has just entered the scene now listen I began to think about this I I began to think because here here here David is and nobody else sees David the way God God sees David all right all right he comes he comes walking in the scene he's carrying some cheese and some bread he's left his father's sheep with with with somebody to tend his father's sheep and here he is he's he's just there simply to make sure his brothers I don't it kind of reminds me a little bit of Joseph you know Daddy sent Joseph to go check on his brothers to make sure his brothers weren't in trouble and I feel this is what kind of was happening with David there's a lot of simulators between David and Joseph here he comes and course the the fir the first guy to see him is huh eliab his eldest brother and he begins to see his kid brother because Joseph's the youngest says his kid brother is his kid brother is walking around from from huddle to huddle from group to group of men and and he's asking now tell me who is this who is this uncircumcised Philistine who is this man who's defying Our God what's going to be done for the person who defeats him and eliab oh oh my God eliab couldn't stand it and I and I'll tell you why I I I want to preach this very quickly but to understand what I've come to preach tonight you got to understand eliab because eliab was tall eliab was kingly matter of fact it was a given when Samuel when the prophet came to Jesse's home and Jesse's boys lined up Eliah was the tallest the strongest he was the most kingly out of all of them he walks up to elive was about to anoint him and God said he ain't it I believe that's what the King James said relatively and and what what let me read the verse because this verse right here is very important 1 Samuel 16:7 but the Lord said unto Samuel look not on his countenance count or the height of his stature all right he said because I've refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man lookth on the outward appearance but the Lord lookth on the heart God was simply saying you're looking to anoint the physically fit and I'm about to anoint the spiritually fit the Lord lookth on the heart and by the way don't get this confused this is not talking about external Holiness don't let people misquote this verse to you and i' I've had this misquoted to me before then oh God doesn't care what you look like on the outside it's on the inside it's it's very much the opposite of what's really being said right here God was just simply saying you look at him because of his height and his stature and his countenance you're looking at him because he fits the mold of what you're looking for but he ain't fitting my mold what I'm looking for I'm looking for the spiritual I'm looking for somebody that's in tune I'm looking for a Shepherd to Shepherd my people I'm looking for somebody that can Pastor my people I'm looking for somebody that can teach my people and train my people how to be worshippers and how to be praisers and and how to lift up my name and song and and how can play musical instruments I'm looking for that kind of leader to lead my people you're looking for someone that's tall and strong you're looking for a champion but God said I'm looking at his heart so I go back and Eliah you got to understand this is who we're talking about here he's goodlooking he's tall he's the eldest brother he he's got the birthright of the family but look with me in in verse 28 of of chapter 17 says and Eliah his eldest brother the tall brother the strong brother the brother with the birthright heard when David spake unto the men Eli's anger was kindled against David and he said why canst thou what why camest down fither and with whom hast thou left those those few sheep in the wilderness he said I Know Thy Pride thy naughtiness of thine heart for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle and David said whoa what have I done is there not a cause and he turned from him toward another and spake after the same manner and the people answered him again in the same in the former Manner and when the words were heard which David spake watch this right here they rehearsed them before Saul and Saul sent for David Eliah knew listen Eli knew that David had already received honor Eliah witnessed David being anointed to be next king Eliah knew that David had been in the king Saul's court and had been playing his harp and been ministering in music to King Saul he had already been receiving honor and I just believe believe that Eliah was so worried that David would get more recognition and he would overshadow his older brothers come on come on come on come on come close to me right here out of jealousy Eliah listen would rather Goliath win then let David succeed listen wrath is cruel anger is outrageous but who can stand before Envy especially Envy of a brother think about the story of Abel the story of Jacob the story of Joseph Proverbs 18 and 19 says a brother offended is harder to be one than a strong City and their content are like the bars of a castle Eliah aimed to upset and discouraged David he tried his best to diminish his enthusiasm that's right are you reading what I'm reading here he wanted others to see David as an arrogant and useless boy who didn't deserve attention he told those around him he said David's only job is to tend a few M measly sheep and he imped that he was lazy and untrustworthy even as a Shepherd who did you leave Daddy's sheep with you just probably just left them in the wilderness see how pride and envy create jealousy and unfair judgment misleading opinions harsh insults and false accusations growing up we would we' respond to our grade school bullies by chanting sticks and stones break my bones words will never harm me but the Tony who in the world came up with that sticks and stones we listen we used to that was like a day in the re in recess that was daily we would say that it may not be true but I don't think there's anything wrong with our weak-minded society trying to live by it come on there too many victims in this world come on can I preach what I feel God's giving me I refuse to live my life worried about what other people think about me I refuse to live my life worried about what other people say about me you know how to stop worrying about what what people think and what people say you got to stop listening and you got to stop reading what people say about you you you when people when people come to me and they say to me they say Hey Brother Ericson or or Chad whoever it is talking to me have you seen the latest what people are saying about you online you know what I say you know I say back to them I got no idea what's being said because I don't read it I don't care there are elabs they're going to come across every life in this place today you're going to have to deal with people who are jealous who are envious who don't want to see you succeed that's right I hate I hate to say it but they're distractions in your life but they're not the enemy I'm going to say it again they're not the enemy the person who talks bad about you they're not your enemy there is a much eviler enemy that is standing right there in the midst and you can look at them and and have feelings about them and the enemy the devil oh a devil from Hell is standing right there and looking and saying Haha I've confused you I've tricked you I've distracted you into thinking that they're the enemy they are not the enemy oh Satan just wants you to think that that's the enemy what if David would have gotten distracted by eliab while in the presence of Goliath what if his attention would have turned to the dishonorable statements his brother had made and he would have lost sight of the cause woo the phrase eye for an eye tooth for a tooth refers to the Old Testament law of Retribution this law was intended listen was intended to limit Vengeance and ensure that punishment was proposed proportional to the offense okay even still in the New Testament Bible in the first century honor and shame were very important in their society a slap on the cheek was much more than just a physical attack it was an attack on someone's honor when Jesus told his followers to turn the other cheek he was he was challenging them on the common idea of Revenge and honor instead of fighting back or trying to regain honor through Vengeance for through violence Jesus encouraged a surprising response he said nonresistance and forgiveness which symbolically turning the other cheek represents a rejection of the cycle of violence and an invitation to break the chains of Retribution follow this right here who is distracting you we're coming up on Marriage Retreat and your spouse oh can be your greatest distraction your husband is not the enemy oh I know I'm preaching your wife is not the enemy but I do believe the enemy is in the room with a husband and a wife that can't see eye to eye and so many times we will attack one another when the enemy is sitting right there and laughing because he knows if I can keep your attention on your spouse and you forget what the cause is for your life and what God has called you to be if I can get your attention listen oh the enemy is not the school teacher right the enemy is not the Headmaster the enemy is not the administrator the youth's pastor the kids quest leader that is not the enemy it's just a distraction oh the old enemy sits there and just laughs and shakes his head and says if you only could see where your child is headed you're worried about a teacher you're worried about a Headmaster you ought to be worried where that teenager is headed come on I want to preach about distractions for just a little bit of time I believe we have the greatest young people in all of the world but they are young people they are Flesh and Blood even our young people make mistakes this ain't Little House on the Prairie school's going to take place tomorrow morning Flesh and Blood are going to walk in those doors but I still think we have the greatest young people in all of the world I would compare them to anybody y'all hear me I would compare them to anybody but the end enemy could put a stumbling block right in your way and cause you to think that the problem is not your your little suszie or your little Johnny when all along God wants us to be good Apostolic fathers that Pastor talked about this morning and Apostolic mothers that pastor preached about this morning and God's want us to raise up our children in the way they should go so when they're old they want depart but there's distractions that are coming between us and our children and we don't even realize it I wish you would help me in this place cuz there's a libs that are talking trash to you it's not Goliath it's not the Philistines it's not the enemy on the other side of the mountain it's the people right in your life that you think are the enemy but they are not the enemy David refused to look at his older brother and say my older brother's the enemy come on let's look and see how David handled this because oh this is interesting right here 1 Samuel 1729 says and David said what have I done now is there no cause look at the first three words in verse 30 and he brother Helms that jumped out at me I thought he didn't confront his brother and say you're a lion no good he just turned his cheek to another person and said hey I refuse to look at you as my enemy right I refuse to consider you the person oh my God that's going to take my attention off the true enemy that's on the other side of the valley who's defying my God and cursing the name of my God you Eliah are not the enemy I'm going to turn to somebody else and say hey what are we doing huh is there not a call so I move quickly because I only have five minutes left I'm going to skip part two but if I was going to preach on part two I was going to preach about how he had to walk into Saul's tent I'm not going to preach about it I'm just I I actually just cut it out of my notes but he had to walk into Saul's tent and now not only does he have a brother who's telling lies about him who's trying to diminish his honor in front of everybody else brother step but now he walks into the tent of King Saul and King Saul is like oh no I had heard we had a warrior to fight Goliath are you that guy should have known pipsqueak would be the first one in here you don't even have a sword you don't have a spear you don't even have Army what is that cheese under your arm what are you 14 and right here I got to thinking you know Sal if anything so could represent how we view ourselves I'm not old enough I'm not tall enough I'm not strong enough I'm not wise enough I don't have the wisdom I don't have the knowledge I don't have the education I don't have the degrees God's giv me a calling God God's spoken to me directly what he's W me to do I I see the need I follow the need it's the call but I don't line up I don't check any of the boxes that need to be checked for this job but then watch this right here because I begin to study I thought how many years before David did Samson rule brother Joel it was only 50 years before David was born that Samson was judged how he got to think to myself you know he knew the stories of Samson he stood and I know sometimes we look at at Samson as if he was the Hulk he wasn't he wasn't green he wasn't huge he wasn't muscular he was just a normal guy but he had the power of God and I just got to believe that David maybe maybe he was maybe he was a superhero of David's I bet he was come on let's think about it you think we're the only generation had superheroes and here David is thinking about I heard a story story about Samson ripping the gates off a city and carrying them away I remember hearing about a story about a donkey's Jawbone that Samson took up and killed a thousand men with a Jawbone of a donkey I got to believe that David started thinking about hey he reminds me of me he tore a line apart with his bare hands somewhere along the way if I was going to preach this section of my message I'd have to say sometimes we just got to raise up and realize if he can do it if God can do it for him God can do it for me if God was able 50 years ago to do it for the xenders my God he's able to do it for me if he can heal you he can heal me if he can give you power he can give me power if the Holy Ghost was meant for you to give you Authority is meant from me okay I'm rushing I'm rushing oh I got about 2 minutes here we go so uh verse 50 verse 50 we got to get through this so David prevailed just in case hey hey hey just in case you're here and you've never heard of David or Goliath I got to end this for you so David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smoke the Philistine and slew him but there was no sword in the hand of David therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine and took his sword and Drew it out of the sheep and slew him and cut off his head therewith and when the Philistines saw their Champion was dead they fled killed him with a stone y'all a giant he didn't kill him with the sword that's not what the Bible says it says he was dead and then David took the sword and cut off his head the only reason he cut off his head well there's probably more than one reason but I know the main reason was he wanted to pick that thing up so that the Philistines could see it but not only the Philistines I I believe he want to make sure eliab saw it too said hey Bo check that out right there yeah I can't tend a few sheep but I can defeat a Goliath I can defeat a giant I can defeat somebody that's N9 foot tall in my life when it looks like it's an impossibility to everybody else I believe David understood how to clarify the cause he knew how to clarify his Focus eliab you are not the problem King Saul you are not the problem Goliath is the problem and I'm going out and I'm going to take it by force uh the enemy of First ellic Church would like to distract us off our mission the enemy would want to make us to think that our brother is our enemy our sister is our enemy the person talking about us in the community is our enemy but that's not the enemy I'll Stand in your feet so I can be finished that's not the enemy David simply said wait a minute I'm going to turn my cheek away from all these people who want to dishonor me but show me where the enemy is show me the cause show me the purpose he said I'll get in with both feet I'll do whatever I have to do to defeat this champion of this uncircumcised Philistine Army I wonder tonight what is the cause for First Apostolic church I'll tell you what the cause is the cause is Acts chapter 2 if we're going to defeat the enemy called sin there's got to be repentance being preached there's got to be water baptism being preached in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins uh there's got to be holy ghost in filling being preached from this Pulpit matter of fact tonight if you're dealing with stuff in your life and you've had all kinds of distractions I offer you something that you may never have before and that's the Holy Ghost in fire it'll be shut up in your bones it'll help you to live for God and defeat the enemy called sin we got to be discipl makers second Timothy 4:2 preach the word be instant in season how to season reprove rebuke exort and with all longsuffering and Doctrine oh come on we can't get distracted so we stop preaching Romans 10:14 how then shall they call on him who they have not believed and how shall they believe on him who they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace uh and bring Glad Tidings uh of good things I'm preaching about we can't be distracted in these last days we can't get our mind off of the cause Mark 16:15 and he said unto them go ye into all the world Hallelujah preach the gospel to Every Creature I got one more Ephesians 4:11 and he gave some Apostles some prophets some evangelists some pastors teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ I hope that everybody fits in here somewhere because that's what a disciplemaker is is not all of us are pastors not all of us are Apostles or prophets but I pray there's teachers in the house I I pray there's Apostolic moms and dads who are training up their children you're a teacher in your home fathers you're the priest of your home we can't get distracted oh my God help us to see the enemy for who he is help us to realize there's a distraction in every one of our Lives my God I'm going to raise my daughters up to fear you I'm going to raise my daughters up God to love you I'm not going to allow things to distract me is there not a cause come on don't get distracted from the cause teach Bible studies woo disciple a coworker brother sister slack we love you all we're so thankful that brother SE yeah yeah yeah yeah brother Sean one day thank you say come on oh there's so much more to being a disciplemaker than just teaching a Bible study we got to love one another we got to understand that we all have faults but we got to overlook The Faults we we can't let those faults distract us and we got to pull people close to us and love people enough to say you got to come to church with me uh you got to experience the same thing I'm experience come on elah we're not going to be distracted by you Eli we will not distracted for you because we have a cause we're going to stay focused on what matters so tonight I open this altar to anyone in this house that wants to do something great in the kingdom of God come on you refuse to be distracted I want those type of people who will get their mind on what matters come on we got a wind Blunt County y'all and I believe we are well able to defeat the giant but we got to keep our focus on the giant we're well able to win this County but we got to keep our focus on the county I won't let s oh God I won let things come into my path and come in my way and trip me up and distract me but God I want to keep the main thing the main thing I want to see you Lord God on the face of every person that I meet I want to see you Lord God I want to see their face light up when they come into the house of God and feel what I F uh I want to see Lord God their countenance light up uh when they repent of their sins uh and they go down in the water in Jesus name I want to see them Lord God when they come up out of the water and they're free and every sin that's ever held tight to them wo they're loosed in Jesus name why don't you pray for somebody nearby I feel the Holy Ghost in This Place uh I feel God wants to deliver some of us of he lives in our life he wants to deliver us of people who we think are the enemy and they're not the enemy you're teenager is not the enemy your teenager is not the enemy come on moms and dads your teenager your young 20s they're not the enemy there's just an enemy in the same room that's want to take control of the situation but if you'll see them and say God I believe we're going to be Victorious uh God I believe we're not going to be Lord God we're not going to be weak in mind but we're going to be strong we're going to be Champions we're going to be over colors W the Holy Ghost is here I feel the water flowing in this place I feel living water flowing in this place come living water come down and refresh Us in this house