Sermon for 09/24/06

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Sermon for 09/24/06
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So you want to be like Christ? -
SILENCE AND SOLITUDE: Slowing our pace

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Main Theme: This series is designed to take us past the good news of God’s grace! Grace is amazing but it is completely God driven. AFTER salvation comes the task that includes our participation: Becoming more and more Christ-like; the purpose of a Christian’s life! How we grow deeper in love with Jesus requires an intentional lifestyle aimed at becoming godly, not religious! We will look at 8 essential disciplines that will help our relationship with Jesus grow! Today, in our 3rd week, we explore the Hebrew word found 3 times in Psalm 46 “Selah” – which means “Pause and let that sink in”. It is essential that we each learn to “be still, and know that I am God.” This comes through the disciplines of silence and solitude. If we are always speaking to God – we are not listening – God cannot reveal Himself or His will or who we are! Jesus made solitude a priority. Our needs are brought together with His inexhaustible resources. Good ministry needs solitude. What do we do in silence and solitude: listen! What will we hear? Clarity! God’s treasures are found in silence and solitude. (Based on Chuck Swindoll’s book “So, you want to be like Christ?” and other research.)

1) TREASURES! For six years, two British archeologists searched the Royal Valley in Egypt for an ancient tomb. They had found nothing. That is they found nothing until November of 1922 when they stuck their head through a hole they had made and discovered the coffin of a teenage king, surrounded by treasures of every possible kind! They had found the tomb of King Tutankamen. There were 3000 items in all, taking them 10 years to remove, catalog, and restore. And as magnificent and awesome as these treasures are, they pale in comparison to the riches left by a living King just waiting to be discovered in God’s Word.

2) IF/THEN! Solomon knew of such “treasures” and passed these words on to His Son:

My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:1-5)

Notice that in these 5 verses, Solomon wrote three conditions all beginning with “if”, that point to our responsibility. He’s saying, “IF… you are willing to dig, dig, dig for spiritual treasures… THEN you will make some magnificent discoveries that will lead you to understand what it means to KNOW GOD!” In this sermon series we are looking for secrets and searching for treasures that will deepen our intimacy with God. Becoming more and more Christ-like each and every day is a priceless treasure that only occurs if we decide to intentionally reorder our lives according to a whole new set of priorities. Then we get to KNOW GOD!

3) PAUSE AND LET THAT SINK IN! Last week we discussed the hard work that comes with accepting the discipline of SIMPLICITY – removing all the clutter in our lives - that we might focus on Christ in all we say and do. Today we explore the disciplines explained in Psalm 46; the psalm that inspired Martin Luther to write the reformation theme song for Lutherans: A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” Ironically, I will put the Psalm up on the wall, but we will not read it – for my focus is instead on the three little instructional words on the side, found at the ends of verse 3, 7, & 11. The word in Hebrew is “Selah” which means “Pause and let that sink in.” The psalm tells us that when we are threatened by nature, enemies, and war – and though we are in danger, God is still in control. “Pause and let that sink in.”

4) BE STILL! And tucked inside this Psalm is that amazing little phrase in verse 10 “Be still and know that I am God.” Other versions say “Cease striving, and know that I am God.” The Hebrew word could be translated “Relax”, “Be quiet”, “Quit”, “Do nothing”. When threatened or in danger, the rest of the world yells “Run”, or “Duck”, or “Fight back!” But God says, “Be still, cease, stop striving – do nothing except come to me.” As broken people living in a broken world there is probably no harder command to obey! And yet, there is no more life-giving command than the one that calls us to silence and solitude with God!

5) SILENCE! Let’s explore the idea of silence. Silence is a by-product of being “still.” What happens when you and I commit ourselves to periods of absolute, uninterrupted silence? Verse 10 tells us we discover who God is! How does that work? Boy that’s hard to explain! But somehow the Spirit of God reveals Himself when we shut out loud and busy distractions, and close our traps for a long period of time, and LISTEN! When Dan Rather interviewed Mother Theresa many years ago, he asked her “When you pray what do you say to God?” “I don’t say anything,” she replied. “I listen.” So he tried again, “Well, okay …when God speaks to you, then, what does he say?”“He doesn’t say anything. He listens.”Recognizing his stumped look, she added, “And if you don’t understand that, I can’t explain it to you.” What did the old Scottish saying tell us “Some things are better felt that telt.” Perhaps you will never be able to explain it until you try it – beginning with silence. Because when we cease striving, when we are still, when we are surrounded by silence, God somehow mysteriously reveals Himself! He makes Himself real!

6) TRUTHS IN SCRIPTURE! Now some of us get nervous when we reflect on this, because we’ve bumped into those who claim to receive brand new, earth shattering messages from God – and those revelations are “way out there” and belong to the “Twilight Zone!” So let’s be clear about this: First, the only reliable source of communication with God is the 66 books found in the Bible, and secondly - the purpose of silence is not to receive extra-biblical instructions or new secret messages from God. No, in that “silence” the Holy Spirit boils down and convicts us of the truth we receive from the scriptures. Specific insights from Biblical truths are revealed and applied to the problems and misconceptions we have in our lives. He transforms our heart to beat a little bit more in rhythm with His own… by bringing to light Godly life-changing truths found in the scriptures.

7) RESPONSIBILITY! While it is a mystery as to how that happens, we DO know this: it does NOT happen in a busy room filled with distractions and constant activities. It does NOT happen while you are talking! It happens during sustained periods of being quiet, sitting still, ceasing activity. I will try to make this as clear as I can: Your responsibility as a follower of Christ is to pursue time away (from television, radio, endless and silly commercials, and the never ending roar of traffic) – to be alone and quiet; it is your responsibility to find that place of stillness and solitude where God will lead you to springs of life bubbling up from somewhere deep within!

8) HOW IT WORKS! Here’s how it works: Open the Word of God in a peaceful place and sit in quietness before Him. Wait for the random rush of “mind-clutter” to sort itself out… and then read …and meditate on what you read. In time, the Spirit will cause one verse or truth to pop out and come to life for you. And before you know it, the problem, challenge, or crisis that had you all knotted up, begins to unravel. Problems, that you thought were so huge, begin to shrink when you sit still in silence and listen to God! Emotions get calmed, you mind finds relief! God reveals Himself …and His will for you! In silence you discover the great treasures of new direction, freedom from worry, and a sense of true inner peace. And once you discover how it works, you realize that God does indeed become “a very present help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 9:9)

10) DISCIPLINE! Henri Nouwen once wrote: “…we have become so contaminated by our wordy world that we hold to the deceptive opinion that our words are more important than our silence. Therefore it requires a strenuous discipline to make our ministry one that leads people into the silence of God.” In our chatty world – silence has become a very fearful thing. How many of us get home and the first thing we do is turn the radio or television on? Many people have confessed to me that they hate silence! It makes them itchy and nervous. Admit it; during the prayers, when there is time for silence, many of you get uncomfortable and wonder, “When will this be over?” But if you do NOT learn how to engage in the discipline of silence, you are passing up some of the greatest spiritual treasures – and confining yourself to a shallow relationship with God. You have nothing to share with the hurting and needy world around you until you become a person of depth. And you cannot become a person of real depth without letting God help you develop the discipline of stillness and silence.

11) SOLITUDE! Now, if silence has a mate – it’s solitude. Together they cultivate serenity – a peace and contentment inside that others see as confidence and security on the outside. No one personified serenity more than Jesus! Though He chose to lower Himself and become a human being who experienced all the limitations and temptations of humanity, He over came it by making solitude a priority. And though He was a man on a mission filled with relentless activity – we always read that “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” (Mark 1:35) Serenity in a busy and hectic world comes though the discipline of intentional solitude.

12) SOLITUDE/MINISTRY! Think about it: Even though there were lives to convert, sick to be healed, demons to be exorcized, and the blind needing sight – Jesus broke away and sought out solitude. With the whole city of Jerusalem demanding His precious time – He used the quiet early moments of each day to help Him balance the demands of ministry and the need for solitude. Though solitude and ministry are in constant tension with each other – they cannot be separated. To serve others we need to get away and hoard up spiritual treasures for our own enrichment. In fact, like Jesus, the refreshment we glean from solitude with the Father translates into ministry.

13) DO YOU? If we fast forward though the gospels we come to the scene where Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two to preach, heal, and cast out demons. When they returned we read “And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31) They actually had to get in a boat to get away from the crowds and to find that secluded place – but they did. Do you? Do you start your morning with solitude? Do you find a place where you can “Be still, and know that I am God”? Vance Havner once said, “If you don’t come apart, you will come apart.” This call to find solitude was not just for Jesus, but for His disciples as well! So do you?

14) JESUS OR OUT! Some of you here today are “on the edge” because you are continually in motion, constantly in the presence of needs and people and demands, expectations, children pulling at you, spouse needing support, friends wanting help, groups looking for volunteers, crowded schedules, etc.. Some of you can’t remember the last time you were truly alone, sitting in silence. You may have lost your perspective, and you feel like you are coming apart. Believe me – I know! Chuck Swindoll’s story is the same as mine; that is, he once wrote “When I was young and foolish, I used to say along with my equally foolish seminary friends, ‘I’d rather burn out, than rust out!’ How incredibly stupid. Either way, you’re ‘Out’!” Why is burning out so impressive? Fact is, not a lot of ministry gets done in a pine box. Think about it: if Jesus refused to rush on, if Jesus took time to be alone, if Jesus pulled His disciples away for times of solitude back then, do we think it is less important today for us? It’s solitude with Jesus or burn out!

15) TIME? EFFORT? Now understand this: solitude DOES NOT require a lot of effort or time. And seclusion doesn’t require a super-spiritual setting. It can be on your deck, in your basement, on your motorcycle, a walk in the woods – anywhere, so long as you are deliberately away form other people and in a place where you are not distracted by the busy world around you. Solitude DOES NOT require a lot of time or effort, but the treasures you find are truly life-giving!

16) LISTEN! CLARITY! So what do we do once we are alone? Simple answer: Listen! …like the old ham radio enthusiasts who used to put on their headset and begin fine-tuning with their dials and knobs – seeking transmissions from around the world, often closing their eyes and listening intensely – so too, we need do one thing, and one thing only: listen! Listen for that soft spoken but beautiful voice of God. What will we hear? Clarity! But give it some time! The longer it’s been since you tried on solitude, and the busier you are – the longer it will take for your mind to calm down and grow quiet. Don’t fight it! Don’t rush it! And don’t feel guilty! It’s normal. Just let you mind run. Eventually, your mind is still. Not empty; just quiet. And the things you have studied, the lessons you have learned, the scriptures you have read or memorized will begin to mingle with earlier prayers. The “silly” will be replaced with by the “significant”, “confusion and chaos” will be displaced by “meaningful thoughts”. Shallowness will disappear as spiritual depth finds its way in. When we listen, we find clarity!

17) GOD SPOKE! When the prophet Elijah was running for his life from Queen Jezebel, depression overcame him and he sat down and asked God to let him die. While he slept an angel came to him and told him to eat and journey to Mount Horeb – considered the mountain of God. A strong wind came and Elijah expected God to be in the wind – but he was not. Then an earthquake occurred – but God was not in the earthquake. Then there was a great fire – but God was not found in the fire. We read in 1^st Kings (19:14) “…and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.” One Bible version says “a gentle wind.” Another version says “a still small voice.” Scholars say the Hebrew expression could be rendered “a brief sound of silence.” In other words, it was in that solitude that God connected with His servant. God spoke to Elijah through the silence as the prophet waited all alone.

18) TRIGGERED THROUGH LISTENING! Now you and I are NOT modern day prophets relaying new information from God to His people. All the information we need has already been given to us. It lies between the covers of the Bible. And now we also have the Holy Spirit here, eager to dissect this eternal truth and feed us spiritually with that life-giving Word. But to trigger that, we must listen! In silence! As we find solitude, the still small voice we hope to hear will create clarity as the Spirit transforms our thinking. He becomes the spiritual gardener who empowers us to grow deep roots! He reveals God’s heart and clarifies who we truly are! All these spiritual gifts - triggered through listening!

19) DETERMINED PURPOSE! Two weeks ago we read a paraphrase of Philippians, Chapter 3, verse 10 – which stated our purpose in life “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding (the wonders of His person) more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power out-flowing from his resurrection (which it exerts over believers); and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His likeness even) to his death.” When the Apostle Paul wrote this, his “determined purpose” was to become like Christ! And the truth is, while we are saved by grace, “discipleship” requires our participation. A deeper relationship with God is a choice – and so we need to observe Jesus and learn from Him if we are to imitate and reflect His love. Silence and solitude are spiritual disciplines by which God’s Spirit helps us accomplish our determined purpose: to know the Lord – to become Christ-like!

20) RICHES! Friends, just as those two archeologists worked hard and relentlessly to discover the treasures of King Tut’s tomb, so too, Christ comes to encourage us to work hard and relentlessly to discover the riches left by our living King buried within God’s Word. Jesus comes to you now, offering the power to make silence and solitude a priority in your life. His Spirit is seeking open hearts that sincerely want to pursue the Father, and enabling you through the gift of quiet aloneness to experience true serenity and inner peace. It will NOT come naturally or easily, but Christ will help and inspire you to develop the disciplines that will draw you closer to your Creator. Receive the power to discover the silence and solitude required to know – REALLY KNOW – the God you worship! There is no greater treasure than a deeper, more personal and intimate relationship with God! Jesus offers you now the “shovel” and “pick” of silence and solitude that you may unearth these treasures! Receive them, use them, spiritual riches await you!

Praise God!

AMEN

Sermon/Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that so many spiritual treasures remain buried because we have not sought out the disciplines of silence and solitude. We would rather talk AT you, prayerfully dictating our “wish-lists”, than sitting still and quieting our minds – waiting to hear your gentle voice. We confess solitude and quiet are foreign to us and sometimes scare us. Forgive us and empower us to seek a deeper relationship with you through these disciplines.

Lord, some of us are living constantly “on the edge” because we are continually in motion, and feel guilty and lost when we are quiet, still, and alone. We confess we have convinced ourselves that solitude requires lot of effort or time, and that seclusion always requires a super-spiritual setting. But deep in our heart we know the truth. Forgive us our excuses, and empower now us to find time to be alone with you. Then teach us to listen, and in doing so, draw us closer to you.

And now Lord, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, healed, and recommitted to you! (made anew.)

(Silence)

Lord, we will never find the desire and time for silence and solitude if you do not come in, inspire us, and transform us. Help us to come apart to be with you, before we just come apart. Open for us the treasures that lie buried in your Holy Word! In quiet aloneness, make us more and more Christ-like each and every day! In Jesus Name We Pray. AMEN

Assurance of Forgiveness:

Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord, who offers you the life-giving disciplines of silence and solitude, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, and remember: Serenity and inner peace do come to those trapped by a busy and constantly active world. Seek also the balance of silence and solitude, and you will find God! Praise God! AMEN

Opening prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, every day of this past week, we busily rushed from one activity to another. And when we weren’t rushing, we were filling our minds with all the sounds and noise a busy world makes. A thousand voices tried to tell us what to do, where to go, what to buy, and how to have fun. But the only voice that truly brings us life, (yours), was often drown out. True serenity and inner peace often slipped through our fingers because we rarely found time to sit quietly in solitude to listen to you. So we pray that you will in this hour, quiet our minds, shut out the worldly noise, and empower us to hear your gentle but life-giving voice. Help us to hear your declaration of love. Help us to hear your message of forgiveness and renewal. Help us to listen to and act upon the new direction you want our lives to go in! Help us to receive and understand your divine and creative Word that transforms us into the children you would have us become. Do not let us leave this place without knowing you better, deepening our relationship, and responding to your calling as increasingly faithful disciples. Touch us that we might touch others in Christ-like ways! Receive our praise and thanksgiving, and enable us to bring you glory in everything we say and do. In Jesus Name We Pray! AMEN!

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