Silence and Solitude

Open

  1. We started a series on experiencing God
  2. It stemmed from the fearing God
  3. And the idea that you can’t fear what you don’t know
  4. So I am going to give you very PRACTICAL things that I guarantee will deepen your relationship with God

Recap

  1. But there are 4 requirements: Doing. Body. Intensity. Discipline.
  2. Last week: Fellowship
  3. We looked at some verses to build a biblical model of fellowship
  4. If you don’t have times of intentional fellowship with people in your life, your relationship with God IS suffering

Intro

  1. Today we’re going to talk about…………………(silence and solitude)
  2. Silence is a powerful tool
  3. Notice how it totally transformed the room
  4. It creates tension
  5. It provokes people to talk and say things they might not other wise say
  6. We will be looking at silence and solitude today
  7. They go hand in hand really
  8. But today we’re going to talk about how silence and solitude impact your relationship with God

Who?

  1. How many of you guys love being by yourself and silent?
  2. Not on your phone, not watching TV, not reading a book
  3. How many of you guys don’t like being by yourself and silent?
  4. How many of you guys get away from everyone and everything and get silent on a regular basis?
  5. Did you guys know that this should actually be a regular part of all of our lives as disciples of Jesus?
  1. It’s not easy, or popular
  2. Look at the evidence that people hate silence
  3. Headphones and car radios
  4. Tv
  5. Sound machines
  6. Solitary confinement
  7. It is not good that man is alone - God

Why is it hard?

  1. Why do you think silence and solitude are hard?
  2. We are afraid of being alone
  3. We are afraid of ourselves and what we will see if we look too closely
  4. It makes us feel helpless
  5. We like to try to manage and control what other people think about us through our words
  6. Richard Foster – “The tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation. A frantic stream of words flows from us because we are in a constant process of adjusting our public image. We fear so deeply what we think other people see in us that we talk in order to straighten out their understanding.” FEAR OF MAN
  7. I want you to begin to notice how often you speak to justify or clarify something you’ve done or said

Why do you think silence is important?

  1. Why do you think silence and solitude is important?
  2. In your relationship with God?
  3. First of all, scripture:
  4. Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
  5. Ecc 3:7 … There is a time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
  6. Psalm 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
  7. Jesus:
  8. Luke 5:16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed
  9. Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
  10. Silence and solitude are transforming
  11. It positions you to see God and to hear God and therefore, know God
  12. One of the fruits of silence is awareness of and freedom from fear of man
  13. And you begin to trust God with being your justifier
  14. Silence actually sets us free from loneliness and fear

How to do it

  1. Let’s talk about how you do it
  2. Well first you must do it, you can just think about it
  3. Remove yourself from people on a regular basis if you can
  4. Then I usually say something to God at the beginning
  5. Then I just hang out with God and let him call the shots
  6. But I’m not really trying to accomplish anything
  7. I’m not trying to figure out a problem
  8. I’m not trying to grow in that moment

Do it

  1. We’re going to practice silence today
  2. I want everyone to get as separated as you can, and we’re going to be silent for about 10 minutes