Pastor Tab Cosgrove December 24, 2017

Text: Luke 2:1-20 Title: The Blessed Silence

  1. Merry Christmas! Isn’t it great to be here away from it all? I want everyone to take a deep breath in and then exhale. How many of you felt a hint of calm or relief as you exhaled? Do it again. How long has it been since you felt you had some time to stop, sit in silence and take a deep breath without having 400 things running through your mind. Perhaps for some of you tonight that concept is an anomaly or foreign. According to research there is overwhelming evidence that the inability to be silent, to rest, to find time to take those deep breaths, is having adverse effects on the general health of individuals. In fact, finding time for silence or being in complete quiet is almost becoming a lost art. In an article from the website, entitled, “Why Silence is Good for Your Brain,” they say that all the environmental noise, internal and external, that daily circles our livesis causing unrest for our minds and that this is having adverse effects on themental and physical aspects of health. The advancements in technology have made us more in touch now than ever before, but according to this research these advancements are some of the greatest culprits of our unrest and are being found to be detrimental not only to the physical and mental but also to the spiritual. There are countless ways that our attention is in demand every day, every hour, every min. which is preventing us from being still every now and then.
  1. (Play the ding back to back—make sure it is loud) Be honest, how many of you who just heard that ding checked your phone or are dying to see if someonemessaged you? Look at this slide. I don’t know about you, but this would drive me absolutely crazy having 19 unchecked messages.Anyone with me? The point is weare losing the concept behind stopping, taking a deep breath and sitting in silence, particularly when it comes to our spiritual lives because we can’t get away from this stuff.It has become like a drug in many cases, distracting us and keeping our minds preoccupied continually.I challenge you, if you are one who can’t live without your phone, to put it on airplane mode for 30 min and see if by about 15 minutes you aren’t dying to see how many likes, tweets, posts, chats, messages, etc., you are missing. Because if it’s hard for you, you got the bug and I’m talking mostly to myself here! These little devises are stealing rest for our minds.And it’s not just phones that are preoccupying us. TV binge-watching is now on the upswing, companies are expecting longer hours from their salaried employees, kid’s programs and sports are causing families to disburse in all sorts of directions and schedules are becoming jammed packed. And before you know it our minds are running on high adrenaline continuously to the point that when our heads hit the pillow we are totally exhausted.
  1. Sitting in quiet, undistracted, where our minds aren’t racing is becoming a lost art. And because it is, the benefits of silence are being lost. In this article they list some of the benefits. One is that it relieves stress and tension. A 2006 study published in the journal “Heart” found that two minutes of silence was more relaxing than listening to relaxing music and this was based off of changes in blood pressure and blood circulation in the brain. They also found that silence replenishes mental capacity such as memory and brain growth. Intentional silence fights insomnia and heightens sensitivity. In an article from sott.net they say when we are constantly doing something we are simultaneously stimulating the nervous system to the point of exhaustion and an overexerted and depleted nervous system can most certainly give birth to an array of health problems.So I guess one could conclude, silence, quiet, intentional mental rest is important!
  1. Sowhen was the last time you sat still with your phone off, the TV off, the computer off, the kids absent, totally disconnected from everything? When was the last time? You see this is the problem we, as people of faith,are now facing in the midst ofall these distractions. Spiritually we don’t know how to sit quietly and we are losing the benefits God promises in silence with Him. Scripture is full of places that advocate strength and peace through silence and quiet. Did you know there are over 20+ places in the four Gospels that talk about Jesus going off to be alone, to sit by Himself in prayer and reflection. Why would that have to be told unless it were important to note? Psalm’s are also full of places that talk about the blessing of silence. Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 91:1 He who dwells (sits) in the shelter of the Most High will abide(rest) in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 62:1-2 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. You see,our strength to exist amongst the distractions;our resolve to remain calm and not stressed throughout the busyness of life;our fortitude to outlast the problematic issues we face in life, comes when we can pull ourselves away, sitting alone quietly with God, speaking to Him about our concerns and then letting Him speak to us through His Word. That is when we will find strength. That is when we will know calm and be able to outlast the messiness of life.
  1. And this my friends is why Jesus came into the world the way He did. There was no hoopla or kingly fanfare and celebration, rather He chose a silent and humble stable where only His earthly parents were in attendance. Oh, maybe a couple of cows were lowing and there probably was the sound of parents silently rejoicing as their child took his first breath, but in that moment, that really was all there was. It was a Silent Night indeed but a Holy Night for you and I.Because He came, we have forgiveness, hope and life. And Jesus’ silent and humble entry was matched by silent and humble departure. Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crucified for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.What is remarkable about His silence is that Jesus could have ushered down legions of angels to save Him from dying the way He did, but He chose to remain silent all the way to a cross out of a love He has for you and me. And why this is important for us is because He does some great work in silence. And so wouldn’t it behoove us to tap into the work He can do in/through us in our silence as well?
  1. I will be the first to admit it is hard in this day and age to find time to sit alone,undistracted, especially to sit in reflective silence and connect with the Lord. But I do believe there is great benefit when we do because what I have found is when I do, problems don’t seem to be so insurmountable, the busyness doesn’t seem to be so overwhelmingly crazy and the distractions that come don’t seem to be sodomineering. During this Christmas Season and even into the New Year I challenge you to be intentional about setting some time aside. Find a quiet spot and put your phone on airplane modeand enjoy the strength, the hope and the freedom He offers us in the blessed silence that only He who came in the silence of a Holy night can give. (song by Jeb at 10:00AM—video song at the 8:00PM)