Keeping your eye on the ball

Precis: Scripture provides examples of staying “on track” with the mission/tasks God has given and not be distracted. It also provides negative examples of this idea.

Intro: am trying to learn tennis. Strong instinct when the ball is approaching to look up toward where I want to hit it. That rarely works. Better to watch the ball all the way to the racquet. But instinct is to be distracted. Takes a concerted effort of conscious thought to overcome the instinctive impulse to take my eyes off the ball.

Keeping on track and avoiding distractions:

• Mt 14.13-15 Hearing of John’s death Jesus attempted to withdraw from the public. Probably he wanted some alone time to grieve over his lost cousin. However, circumstances intervened and He was found by a large pursuing crowd. So, Jesus returned to His mission; and in compassion for them He ministered to them. His compassion for the people and commitment to His mission overruled His need for privacy. (Mt 14.22-23 shows God did provide Jesus the alone time He needed… after discharging the requirements of His mission that day.)
• When brought to Herod Jesus remained passive and unresponsive, because any interaction with Herod and any action he might take would be a distraction from the mission to be crucified by the Romans. Lk 23.6-12
• Paul’s statements that he presses on toward the goal he’d been assigned. Phil 3.13-14

Negative examples

• 1 Ki 13.1-32 The prophet from Judah, instructed to deliver his message against King Jeroboam’s altar, was commanded to immediately depart Bethel and leave the region without stopping to even drink or eat. However, he was distracted by the lie of a man from Bethel who said God had changed His mind and wanted the prophet to stay. So the prophet from Judah consented to share a meal with the man from Bethel... and was killed by a lion as he traveled home.
• <ref> King Saul chose expediency over obedience. He offered an unauthorized sacrifice, and suffered the loss of his kingdom and life as a consequence.

The principle

• Heb 12.1 Divest of anything that hinders.
• 2 Tim 2.4 Like a soldier avoiding entanglement in civilian affairs, stay “on mission.”
• 1 Cor 9.24-27 Like a runner in a race, stay on the course and don’t “run aimlessly.” The adage is true, “If you aim at nothing you will surely hit it.”

Closing: Object lesson/illustration: Low level attack profile: several hundred miles, many turns and checkpoints, can’t be early or late by more than 10 seconds, if attacked must leave the attacker to the wingman, avoid pulling up into the fight, and stay on course and on speed.