The Discipline Of Silence Part 2

One reason for us to Jesus phone number for many, silence is uncomfortable. We want sensory input. Every waking hour. The Bible tells us to sometimes set it all aside to live life. The center from within hearing in silence the voices church in Chicago.

This is with Dr. Sir teaching make it across the finish line. Tell us why Psalm 62 has a lot to say about staying close to God through silence. It's been my experience that whenever we are going through a trial that is very difficult. Then you're willing to put aside the noise and to save my soul way doubt only on God for my expectation is from him and we need to do that, even when were not going through a trial, but this almost as he was going through this trial knew that only waiting on God would bring hope to his soul for gift of any amount these messages by the way can be yours.

There entitled the disciplines of the soul and today's the last day, we are making them available. I believe that there will be a great blessing to you so that you can listen to them again and again go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. I'll be giving you this info again. For now I want you to simply listen to this message and the need to be silent before Almighty God. There are some situations in life that we can't even depend upon people and we all had the experience of being so disappointed in what people have done and people that we have depended upon. And we haven't understood that it is God once again, cutting out from under us. Those props that we might wait in silence before him alone. So David was tempted to look at other people.

He was also maybe tempted to think, you know, if I had lots of money I could run and I could do something because you'll notice what he says in verse 10 do not trust and oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery. If riches increase. Do not set your heart on them. They won't help you either always reminded of a couple that in the lottery one $20 million. Imagine winning $20 million in the lottery, and yet the woman died of cancer six months later when wealth increases.

Don't set your heart on it it better flee to God because all of these things are temporary so David says that within this context. Now I'm going to wait on God and I'm going to do it in silence. Why, because because he has to renew his inner life with God. Remember that what a man is in the presence of God is all that he is and nothing more. Who we are is who we are before God, to David says I'm shutting out the world as I'm in this cave is perhaps this is where the Psalm was written.

I'm shutting out dependence upon people, upon even my wealth, my soul waits silent for God alone will you say well how is this done what will get to that in a moment. But before that what what are we waiting for. When we waited in silence before God. First of all, we are waiting to listen to God's voice were waiting for God's voice.

The Bible says in Isaiah chapter 28 verse 23 give ear, and hear my voice, listen to hear my words. At this point we all become very very nervous because there are some people who are listening were going to say. Are you telling me that that if we really silently forgot he's going to give us a new revelation. He's going to come and speak to us let you know I'm opposed to those folks who think that revelation continues to think that we can have a word from the Lord and we can say all guess what the Lord just told me you know what he said to me, then people rolloff things like that and that is distressing you know one day a man wrote a letter to me and said I can't believe that you believe thus and so and he quoted me and he said that he heard it in a message over the radio. I knew I had not said that because it was something with which I disagreed, and so I even listen to the message just to make sure that I discovered that he took something about what I said and connected it with another idea and came up with a quote with which I did not agree. But here's my point. Folks if I is a fallible human being do not like it when people put words in my mouth.

Think of how serious it must be to put words into the mouth of old lady God. Be careful were not listening for some new revelation, but let me tell you what we are listening for were listening for God to reveal in the stillness of our sins and our anxieties that are sometimes even hidden from us. That's been my experience silence in the presence of the Lord. I begin to think about this matter. That is not under God's sovereignty and control in this sin that needs to be confessed, and in this anxiety that is never really been given over to the Lord in all these things are revealed in the silence I cannot hear them in the den of the noise I can't hear the voice of God with a television set on or even the radio on or while reading the newspaper and sometimes not even by reading my Bible unless I am silent and say Lord, and the search me and show me what fine that's what we do in the silence our secret sins. Sometimes also God may give us direction. There are ideas that come to mind at work were seeking leading it could well be that ideas are put into our minds by God to help us give us some direction, but even then we have to be careful.

It is much better to say I believe that the Lord is leading me this way, or I think because sometimes it is difficult to distinguish our own thoughts and desires from the box and the desires of God. But bear in the silent God can meet us and do a work in our hearts that he could never possibly do just because we are in church. However, important that is. So first of all, we wait to listen.

Secondly, we wait to rest. It says in Psalm 37 verse seven.

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way. Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. It is in silence that we arrest and because we rest in God we don't have to become a part of the pushes in the polls and they and the dynamics of life with all of its distractions. We can live differently. It's almost as if God wanted to give me a sermon illustration yesterday about this. I met with my prayer partners and after I met with them.

I went up to the study and I spent 15 minutes in silence before God. Now I've been doing this for years but not every day. I do it a couple of times a week just 15 minutes.

I just get down and an verses of Scripture come to me. Maybe a him comes to me, but I just simply say God this time is for you. This is God's time. All right, so I left the church to go home and that feeling as if my soul had been at rest and I decided to get my car washed and I was in a wash where you have to buy a ticket and then you know you have to punch punch the machine on me.

They don't even want to pay human beings now to take money on these carwashes and you have to punch the number that you get after you purchase your ticket. Well wouldn't you know what I was car number nine in the lineup and the person who was at the head of the line either a didn't know that he needed a ticket be had a ticket but did know how to punch the machine see had nothing to do all day and wanted to make sure that the rest of us also had nothing to do all day and I mean that's was what you have all of these thoughts going through your mind and you're just waiting and you're waiting, I remember I spent 15 minutes of silence in God's presence.

I had a choice to make. Might do in a situation like this. Do I sit on the horn like the man behind me was doing. I mean I was one option I do I just fret and say what you know this is the way life is. I got so much to do in the and here I hear I said, as if I've nothing better to do on a Saturday at there's another alternative to simply say father on a thank you for this additional time of silence before God.

You know I sometimes have gotten early to places where you're waiting, and you have an extra 10 minutes what you do grab a magazine look at this dude is frat know what you simply do is to say father I'm here early so this time is your time, your time, and even in the midst of noise. You can communicate with God, but I don't think that you can do that until you have learned the value of silence in the solitary place and Jesus is the one here who instruct us, is he not Bible says that he would get up early. Even before the sunrise and he would go to a solitary place and be there alone. Why because were to live out life from the center and when we live out light from the center and we are quiet before the Lord and we rest in the Lord and we are silent before God can handle all of these other things because our souls can be at rest. Our souls have the opportunity. Finally, a being able to catch up with our bodies and together there's that sense of wholeness and that sense of peace and that sense of tranquility because we been in the presence of God. Why silence before God.

First of all, we are silent to listen.

We are silent to rest.

We are silent to worship. I've already said that these are some of the most special times of worship that we can have in God's presence. I can worship if I'm distracted, if I've got this going on and that going on in this anxiety in this matter that hasn't been taken care of. What I'm asking us to do today is to say, can we compose our souls in such a way that we can worship in quietness and in solitude. The Bible says that David sat before the Lord. I love that what he was doing his thing.

God these moments are for you.

These moments are to enjoy your presence just you and me and I'm sitting here before the Lord in silence. I don't think he was reading a newspaper. He didn't have the television set on it was just him and God isn't that wonderful and you know if all of us do that. You know when we come together to worship. Imagine the different worship experience. This message has to be tied with the preceding one that I preached on worship as you know this is a series titled the disciplines of the soul.

There was a mother who always whenever she took her little child or little girl to church, said now now you have to be quiet because this is God's house.

She said you have to be quiet because this is God's house one day the little girl accompanies of all mommy why is he never home. I trust that here at the church when people come in here though say that this is God's house and he's at home we been silent. Now we can sing we pause now.

We can praise now I want you to look at the text because what I'm asking you for in here now we come to the transforming part of all this because so far this is words unless we do it. You'll notice in the Psalm 62. David begins. He says in verse one, my soul waits in silence for God only he's describing what happened, but by the time he gets to verse five. He's talking to his soul and bringing his soul into line. He says my soul, wait in silence for God only he's speaking to his soul and saying soul.

You're going to be silent, and he was schizophrenic but what he realized was that he had to take control over his soul. I already mentioned that we follow our souls just wherever they lead. If we just take every everything that comes into our mind and wait then then will never worship will never focus will never be addressed because our souls are those wandering spirits that we talked about.

And so David says soul soul you B's silence before God only hears what I'm asking you to do, begin with about 10 minutes is old is this 10 minutes had to be added on to the prayers that you taught us to pray in the meditation. I can't answer that for you. Every person has to answer that question for his or herself, but I do need to say take out 10 minutes. 10 minutes when you simply say this is for God. Perhaps take a verse of Scripture, the words of a song and come into God's presence and say, God, this is for you now my mind and my heart has to be focused on the Lord and I want to be perfectly still before you.

You don't empty your mind like transcendental meditation, which leads oftentimes to demonic experiences that's that's not what were doing when we have our minds focused on Scripture.

We have our minds focused on God.

But we don't come to pray we don't come to speak. We don't come with an agenda. We simply say God I hear God I'm here and we wait before the Lord in silent meditation. What sins if I committed that I did not receive forgiveness for what anxieties are there within my soul but had not been laid to rest reveal all that to me and what you will discover is in the presence of God.

You will be renewed. You will be re-strengthened. You'll be recharged and you'll not only be able to go into your closet and closed the door. As Jesus said that we should, but you'll also be able to close all of the distractions of the world that I need to tell you that there are times when I need to simply do this because of the hassles of life and you come away saying I've connected with God and my strength is renewed in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Life lived out from the center worshiping God, don't notice the David in his distress, discovered that God met him and you know the end of the story, Absalom was put to death. David was restored to the city of Jerusalem and God was with him the whole way. My soul be silent only before God, my expectation is from him Cleveland that McAfee wrote there is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God.

A place where sin cannot molest near to the heart of God old Jesus blessed Redeemer sent from the heart of God hold those who wait before the new year to the heart of God. The Christian life can only grow in solitude.

Let's pray for father. We want to thank you today for your grace and mercy, and today father in this world with so much clamor so much noise and was so much a pivot T make us believers who can rest in the Lord to wait silently in his presence.

Grant has so God to be people who are transforming. First of all because you've transformed us and therefore we can impact others because of your holy Word. And for those who have never trusted Christ we pray that they also in silence might seek you, through Jesus Christ our Lord and be changed teaches these things father because we are slow learners.

We pray in Jesus name, amen. What my friend, this is Pastor Luther I hope it's okay if I tell you that I oftentimes blessed and challenged in my own messages. You know sometimes we, as preachers we need to remember that what we preach. We should practice and sometimes that is a struggle. You know, even as I listen to a message like this.

I'm reminded of the need in my own life to spend more time in silence before God, and we do live in a world of noise. Someone has said that the Internet shows the triumph of the trivial and were into a lot of tribute today, aren't we. I believe that these messages are very relevant. I believe that they are life transforming for you.

The series is entitled the disciplines of the soul and today is the last day, we are making this series of messages available to you now remember that we here at running to win are committed to helping you run the race of life we want to give you resources that we believe will enable you to do that in the world.

Indeed, as I've already mentioned in a world filled with noise for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours so that you can listen to them again and again share them with your friends. The disciplines of the soul. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com. As you might guess, RTW offer is all one word RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you that contact info again because my heart tells me I really do want you to have these messages that I believe will be so helpful in a world filled with so much tension and so much distraction. Remember it's the disciplines of the soul and for information, go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and let me tell you, in advance, thank you for the many of you who stand with us regularly with your prayers and your gifts. We appreciate you so much. Running to win is not the ministry of a team or of a church or of a person.

It is God's ministry. Thanks in advance for helping us. It's time again for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life. I think today's question will test whether Pastor Luther can walk that line on the top of the fence listener named Jack voices the concerns of many in his email.

A number of churches and radio stations in our area have switched from hymns accompanied by piano, organ orchestra, to contemporary Christian music with guitars, bass and drums. My question is what would our Lord have us do. According to the Bible in regard to Christian music while Jack, I want to begin by saying that, first of all, I do not presume to speak for the Lord so I'm not sure exactly what our Lord would do. But this is my opinion. First of all, it's very important for us to understand that we should not lose the hymns. You don't used to be.

In ancient times and in more modern times. Also that singing Christian singing always was to have what is called gravitas.

That means gravity.

It means it was weighty, it means it said something and today we find many courses.

By the way, that really do say something.

We have courses that we sing that. Have a wonderful biblical theology, and we use them here at the Moody church and we should take advantage of all the gifts that God has given to people to write this kind of music, and to be able to use instruments to play.

It but at the same time jacket is so important that we have some latitude here. We need to understand that there are people with different tastes and that we need to be able to accommodate them.

My hope would be that we'd be able to reach some kind of a balance of recognition that the past should not be discarded. The hymns of the past, many of them are simply too good to not teach our children and our young people and future generations. But at the same time, we do have some contemporary settings.

We have contemporary music and we need to be able to say that yes there are those to whom that really speaks, and so hopefully here we can in an amiable way resolve this tension and not fall off the bench in one direction or the other thank you for walking that thin line on top of the fence, Dr. Luther, thank you Jack for making him do it. If you'd like to have your question answered on a future broadcast go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click thereon. Ask Pastor Luther or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to is running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 all of us have stubborn habits ingrained behavior that's hard to stop while it's easy to say yes when tempted to give into a bad habit. The real need is to find a way to say no next time I'm running to a series designed to help all of us break stubborn habits and develop positive habits for the future. Don't miss getting to know beginning on the next edition of running to win. Thanks for listening, Dr. Erwin Luzerne this is Dave McAllister running to win his sponsor teacher