Goals

1.  Open class with time of worship

2.  Understand the practice of Personal Worship in the life of the Christian

3.  Encourage People to take the next step

4.  Close class with time of worship

Goal #1

Worship Week 7

          Morning: John 21:12

          In these words the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus. "Come and dine," implies the same table, the same meat; aye, and sometimes it means to sit side by side, and lean our head upon the Saviour's bosom. It is being brought into the banqueting-house, where waves the banner of redeeming love. "Come and dine," gives us a vision of union with Jesus, because the only food that we can feast upon when we dine with Jesus is himself. Oh, what union is this! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom, that we thus feed upon Jesus. "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." It is also an invitation to enjoy fellowship with the saints. Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one cup. As the loving cup goes round we pledge one another heartily therein. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. If we were more near to Jesus we should be more near to one another. We likewise see in these words the source of strength for every Christian. To look at Christ is to live, but for strength to serve him you must "come and dine." We labour under much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting this percept of the Master. We none of us need to put ourselves on low diet; on the contrary, we should fatten on the marrow and fatness of the gospel that we may accumulate strength therein, and urge every power to its full tension in the Master's service. Thus, then, if you would realize nearness to Jesus, union with Jesus, love to his people and strength from Jesus, "come and dine" with him by faith.[1]

          Prayer

Goal #2               

PP Blended personal worship practice

Question: What would you think is the typical practice of personal worship? What does it include?

          I have already spoken on the interdependence of corporate and personal worship practice.           Part of  my focus as pastor here at CBC has been to educate and lead God’s people into a           corporate worship practice that is participative, passionate and blended in content.

                   By blended, I mean there is a joining of many different tributaries of worship                     expression and tradition flowing into one river called corporate worship.

          The reason I mention the makeup of blended worship is because I find most people who   do try to worship God throughout the week are rather limited in the scope of their         personal worship practice.

                   By limited, I mean they have one way of seeking God’s presence, one way of                             relating to Him and that one way is often restricted to that which is cerebral                                 (cognitive, intellectual, mental).

Question: When our personal worship time focuses on the intellectual only, what is left out?

          The heart and hands of corporate worship (emotion and the use of the body) are often           missing in many peoples’ personal worship practices.      

          So is variety. Corporate worship practice is often much more meaningful to the life of the           Christian than personal worship, I believe, because there is more variety of expression in           corporate worship than in the practice of personal worship.

          So, we need to add to what we are already doing. That doesn’t mean we add all every           time, but we add different elements to our personal worship times throughout the week.           What can we add?

PP Lectio Divina[2]

          A very ancient art, practiced at one time by all Christians, is the technique known as           lectio divina - a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible,      the Word of God, to become a means of union with God.

          PP Lectio - reading/listening

          The art of lectio divina begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply, to hear "with       the ear of our hearts" (St. Benedict). This gentle listening is a ‘tuning in’ to the presence          of God in that special part of God's creation which is the Scriptures.

          In lectio divina we, "hear" - listen - to the voice of God, which often speaks very softly.   In order to hear someone speaking softly we must learn to be silent. We must learn to love silence. If we are constantly speaking or if we are surrounded with noise, we cannot      hear gentle sounds. The practice of lectio divina, therefore, requires that we first quiet        down in order to hear God's word to us.

          This is the first step of lectio divina, appropriately called lectio - reading.

          The reading or listening which is the first step in lectio divina is very different from the           speed reading which modern Christians apply to newspapers, books and even to the           Bible. We are listening for the still, small voice of God that will speak to us personally -     not loudly, but intimately. In lectio we read slowly, attentively, gently listening to hear a word or phrase that is God's word for us this day.

          PP Meditatio - meditation

          Once we have found a word or a passage in the Scriptures which speaks to us in a personal way, we must take it in and "ruminate" on it. The image of the ruminant animal         quietly chewing its cud was used in antiquity as a symbol of the Christian pondering the         Word of God.

          Christians have always seen a scriptural invitation to lectio divina in the example of Mary           "pondering in her heart" what she saw and heard of Christ (Luke 2:19). Through      meditatio we allow God's word to become His word for us, a word that touches us and         affects us at our deepest levels.

          PP Oratio - prayer

          The third step in lectio divina is oratio - prayer: prayer understood both as dialogue with           God, that is, as loving conversation with the One who has invited us into His embrace. In this oratio, this prayer, we allow ourselves to be touched and changed by the word of    God.

          PP Contemplatio - contemplation

          Finally we simply rest in the presence of the One who has used His word as a means of           inviting us to accept His transforming embrace. No one who has ever been in love needs   to be reminded that there are moments in loving relationships when words are    unnecessary. It is the same in our relationship with God.

          Once again we practice silence, letting go of our own words; this time simply enjoying       the experience of being in the presence of God.

PP The Practice of Lectio Divina

PP 1. Ready: Prepare by centering yourself in God's presence. Breathe gently.

2. Reading: Read the passage twice, the second time more slowly (first reader).

          -Be aware of a phrase or word that attracts or invites your attention.

          -Take turns speaking your phrase or word to the group...

3. Reflecting: Read the passage again (second reader).

          -Pay attention to the image or feeling that arises from your phrase or word.

          -Speak your image or feeling to the group...

4. Responding: Read the passage a fourth time (third reader).

          -Be aware of how you experience God around your image or feeling as it relates to

           your phrase or word.

          -Allow for extended time of listening and responding to your image, feeling, phrase

           or word. How is God present in and through this? You may sense God's reminder of

           being with you through a call, challenge or other impression. You may find it helpful                     to journal your feelings and thoughts.

          -Share your experience of God with the group...

5. Resting/Receiving: Provide extended silence to be alone with God.

6. End: Leader concludes time by speaking Amen!

Practice

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who

          does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

          or stand in the way of sinners

          or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

          and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

          which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

          Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!

          They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore

          the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

          nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

          but the way of the wicked will perish.

PP Different kinds of prayer.

Question: What is prayer? Is Prayer important? Is Prayer effective?

Prayer is:

·        Not just something we do. It is a way of living, of choosing how we spend our moments and days.

·        It is a response to the work of the Spirit within us of gently altering our focus.

·        It has more to do with experiencing God’s presence than doing something for God.

Prayer is often looked at as our talking to God. But it is more than this. It is reflective as we listen to what God has to say to us. It is a conversation…not a monologue.

Prayer can be silent.

·        Real words and thoughts are directed to God from our heart.

·        Remember Hannah’s prayer, she prayed in her heart and only her lips moved…God heard! (1 Sam. 1:13)

·        God often speaks to us in similar ways..though our thoughts. But we rarely pay attention.

     Jn 10:27 ‘My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.’

·        Detecting God’s voice is a progressive ability. Ask God for clarity to hear his voice over all the other voices in your mind.

Prayer can be verbal.

·        Real words and thoughts are verbally spoken to God.

·        It can help with concentration.

Prayer is an ongoing and growing love relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Study and Practice Richard Fosters List[3]

PP 1. Simple Prayer

Question: Would you agree that among high achievers, we want everything to be just right?

It is true with prayer as well. We feel we need to properly prepare for prayer and we need to master the act of prayer before we can truly pray. The truth is we come to prayer with many mixed motives and agendas…some good, some not so good. But we need to remember, we are saved by grace, we live by grace, we pray by grace.

·        In Simple Prayer, we come to God, ‘just as we are..warts and all’

·        In Simple Prayer, we are the focus: Our needs, wants, desires dominate our prayer time. They are not prideful but  they do focus on us.

·        We make mistakes, we fall down and we get up again and we pray again. We seek to follow God again. We confess, we begin again…and again.

·        Simple Prayer can also be called ‘Beginning Again’ Prayer.

·        Simple Prayer is the most common form of prayer in the Bible.

·        Simple Prayer is ordinary people bring ordinary concerns to a loving heavenly Father.

·        In Simple Prayer we are not concerned with words of how spiritual it sounds, you are concerned with the heart.

PP Example of Simple Prayer

          Dear Jesus, I really wanbt to learn to pray. But when I am honest, I know I often don’t

even want to pray. I am distracted, stubborn, self centered. In you mercy Jesus, bring my wants more in line with my needs so I can come to want what I need. Amen

PP 2. Prayer of the Forsaken

Question: Have you ever tried to pray and felt nothing, sensed nothing? Has it ever seemed like your prayers did no more bounce off the ceiling and ricochet around an empty room?

Times of seeming desertion, absence and abandonment appear to be universal among those who have walked the path of faith before us. It is to be expected, even embraced. It does not always mean you have sinned or done something wrong. It could be that God just wants you to quiet your heart and listen more closely…to wait for him.

Question: What do we do in these times of abandonment, silence?

          Pray the’ Lament’ Psalms.

·        They express reverence and disappointment with God. (Ps 109:1)

·        They express hope and despair (Ps 88:13-14).

·        They express the confidence in the character of god and exasperation in the inaction of God. (Ps. 42:9)

They teach us to pray our inner conflicts and contradictions. They allow us to shout out our forsakenness in the dark caverns of abandonment and then hear the echo return to us over and over again until we bitterly recant them, then we offer praise to God for the promise of his presence.

PP Example of Forsaken Prayer

You are the God who majors in revealing himself. You showed yourself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When Moses wanted to know what you looked like, you showed him. Why them and not me? I am tired of praying, I am tired of asking, I am tired of waiting. But I will keep on praying and asking and waiting because I have nowhere else to go. Jesus, you too knew the loneliness of the dessert and the isolation of the cross. And it is through your forsaken prayer that I speak these words. Amen.

PP 3. Prayer of Examen

Question: How often do you ask God to search your heart and life for sin?

In an age of increasing self-discovery and obsessive introspective, it is interesting that the Prayer of Examen has been lost. There are many churches today where people can come and go week in and week out for years without having a single experience of spiritual examination. No wonder people today are weak, barely hanging on to their faith.

Scripture reminds us of the need to examine ourselves and to ask God to shine his purifying light on our lives.

·        Ps. 139:1; 1 Chron. 28:9; 1 Cor. 2:10

Two aspects of the Prayer of Examen

A. Outward View

An examination of the conscious by which we discover how God has been present to us throughout the day and how we have responded to his loving presence.

·        We prayerfully reflect on the thoughts, feelings and actions of our days to see how God has been at work among us and how we responded.

·        The Prayer of Examen is God’s way of helping us become more aware of him in our surroundings…God Sightings happen everyday, not just on missions trips.

B. Inward View

An examination of conscience in which we uncover those areas that need cleansing, purifying and healing.

·        In the Prayer of Examen we are asking the Lord to search our hearts to the very depths. This is not a fearful endeavor for we must remember that God loves us with an unending and unconditional love.

PP Example of the Prayer of Examen

Precious Savior, why do I fear your scrutiny? Yours is an examen of love. Still, I am afraid…afraid of what may surface. Even so, I invite you to search me to the depths so that I many know myself, and you, in fuller measure. Amen.

PP 4. Prayer of Tears

Question: Has your personal time with God ever brought you to tears? Explain.

·        Penthos is the Greek word and there is no good English equivalent. It is a frequent experience for those who walked the pages of Scripture.

·        Penthos means a broken and contrite heart. It means inward godly sorrow. It means blessed, holy mourning. Penthos is being cut to the heart over our distance and offense to the goodness of God.

·        Penthos means Prayer of Tears.

Someone Read: Acts 2:37

The Prayer of Tears is weeping over our sin and the sin of the world. It is entering into the very heart of repentance.

·        Jeremiah was known as the ‘weeping prophet’ (Jer. 9:1; Lam. 2:18)

·        David too poured his heart and eyes out to the Lord.   (Ps 6:6; 56:8; 42:3; 119:136)

·        Paul also prayer the Prayer of Tears (Acts 20:19; 2 Cor. 2:4; 7:7-11)

The Result of the Prayer of Tears is JOY!

·        Joy is the most obvious result of a heart bowed in contrition. (Ps. 126:5)

Prayer, like our corporate worship experience demands the free expression of all our emotions.

Question: How might the free expression of emotion enhance our personal worship time with God?

PP Example of the Prayer of Tears

Gracious Jesus, it is easier for me to approach you with my mind than with my tears. I do not know how to pray from the emotive center of my life or even how to get in touch with that part of me. Still, I come to you just as I am. I am sorry for my many rejections of tour overtures of love. Please forgive all my offenses against your law. I repent of my callous and insensitive ways. Break my heart with the things that break your heart. Jesus, you went through your greatest trial in unashamed agony and wept tears of deep, deep sorrow. In remembrance of your sorrow help me to weep over my sin...and my sins. For your sake and in your name, I pray. Amen.

PP 5. Prayer of Relinquishment

The Christian life, as well and the Christian’s life of prayer, is a battle of the wills: our will and the will of God. Spiritual growth happens when God’s will wins out over our will.

The Prayer of Relinquishment is best pictured by the old Lipton Ice Tea commercial, you remember, the man/woman drinks the ice tea and then falls back in the refreshing swimming pool…ahhh!

The result of the Prayer of Relinquishment is to bring us to a soul satisfying rest.

Someone Read: Luke 22:39-46

·        Notice that Jesus prayed the Prayer of Tears and did not get what he asked for.

·        Notice that Jesus completely set aside his will for the will of God.

This kind of prayer does not happen without much struggle. Struggle is an essential feature of the Prayer of Relinquishment.

Question: In the Garden of Gethsemane passage, how was Jesus struggle pictured?

·        Tears, blood, anguish, persistence in asking

The Prayer of Relinquishment is not fatalistically giving into God’s will. Our relinquishment is a full and wholehearted agreement with God that his way is altogether right and good.

Part of our trouble with the Prayer of Relinquishment is that we so desperately hold on the good we already have so that we can not receive the greater good that we don’t know. God has to help us let go of our tiny vision in order to release the greater good he has on store for us.

Question: Do you know what I am talking about? Have you ever held on to what you thought was good only to find out that you missed something even greater God wanted for you?  

How to:

·        Learn the prayer of surrender:

              Not my will but yours be done

·        Learn the prayer of abandonment:

              Allow God to tell you what in your life you need to lay at his feet that you are                        holding on to.

·        Learn the prayer of release:

              Give God your family, job, home, possessions, dreams…everything. Then turn                     around and walk away. God will care for all you have given to him.

·        Learn the prayer of resurrection:

              Lord, bring back to life what will please you and further your kingdom here on                      earth

PP Example of Prayer of Relinquishment

O Lord, how do I let go when I’m so unsure of things? I’m unsure of your will and I’m unsure of myself…That really isn’t the problem at all is it? The truth of the matter is I hate the very idea of letting go. I really want to be in control. No, I need to be in control. That’s it, isn’t it? I’m afraid of giving up control, afraid of what might happen. Heal my fear, Lord. How good of you to reveal my blind spots even in the midst of my stumbling to pray. Thank you. But now what do I do? How do I give up control? Jesus. Please, teach me your way of relinquishment. Amen.

PP 6. Formation Prayer

Question: Are you willing to let your practice of personal worship change you?

The primary purpose of this prayer is to bring us into such a life of communion with the Father that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are increasingly conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus.

None of us will keep to a life of prayer unless we are prepared to change. We will either give up or turn it into a system or routine that maintains where we are in our Spiritual journey.

Dallas Willard mentions three major areas God uses in our continuing transformation.

·        Spiritual Disciplines: solitude, fasting, worship, celebration, prayer, scripture meditation, etc.

·        Our continual interaction with the moving of the Holy Spirit:

·        The patient endurance God develops in us by means of various frustrations, trials and temptations we face daily.

Active Prayer of Formation

·        We pursue God. We are sojourners seeking a city whose builder is God. We are pilgrims on a journey of faith. We are exercising ourselves unto godliness. We press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ.

Passive Prayer of Formation

·        We are pursued by God. We are attentive and responsive. We are warm clay in the potters hands.

PP Example of the Prayer of Formation

Dear Jesus, in my Better moments I want nothing more than to be like you. But there are other moments…Help me to see how good conformity to your way really is. In my seeking for you may I be found by you.  I love you Lord, Amen.

Goal #4

Worship Week 7

          Evening: Psalms 36:9

There are times in our spiritual experience when human counsel or sympathy, or religious ordinances, fail to comfort or help us. Why does our gracious God permit this? Perhaps it is because we have been living too much without him, and he therefore takes away everything upon which we have been in the habit of depending, that he may drive us to himself. It is a blessed thing to live at the fountain head. While our skin- bottles are full, we are content, like Hagar and Ishmael, to go into the wilderness; but when those are dry, nothing will serve us but "Thou God seest me." We are like the prodigal, we love the swine-troughs and forget our Father's house.

Remember, we can make swine-troughs and husks even out of the forms of religion; they are blessed things, but we may put them in God's place, and then they are of no value. Anything becomes an idol when it keeps us away from God: even the brazen serpent is to be despised as "Nehushtan," if we worship it instead of God. The prodigal was never safer than when he was driven to his father's bosom, because he could find sustenance nowhere else. Our Lord favours us with a famine in the land that it may make us seek after himself the more. The best position for a Christian is living wholly and directly on God's grace-still abiding where he stood at first-"Having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Let us never for a moment think that our standing is in our sanctification, our mortification, our graces, or our feelings, but know that because Christ offered a full atonement, therefore we are saved; for we are complete in him. Having nothing of our own to trust to, but resting upon the merits of Jesus-his passion and holy life furnish us with the only sure ground of confidence.

Beloved, when we are brought to a thirsting condition, we are sure to turn to the fountain of life with eagerness.[4]

Worship Week 8

Prayer: Prayer of Adoration

Sing: I Will Stand in the Congregation

PP Spiritual disciplines

PP Read: 1 Tim. 4:7

Question: What do you think this verse means?

V Raymond Edman in his book ‘The Disciplined Life’[5] said

          PP Ours is an undisciplined age. The old disciplines are breaking down…Above all, the           discipline of divine grace is derided as legalism or is entirely unknown to a generation        that is largely illiterate in the Scriptures. We need the rugged strength of Christian character that can come only from discipline.[6]

Superficiality. Instant gratification. Instant messenger.  We want it fast, we want it now, we want it easy.

Richard Foster has said

          PP The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted           people, but for deep people.[7]

Foster believes that by developing the practice of spiritual disciplines we take our spirituality to the next level…which is deeper in our faith.

Question: Give me examples of things/activities/hobbies that require discipline?

                   What discipline is needed to perform the things/activities/hobbies mentioned?

Question: What do you think about when you think of the word discipline?

                  What about Spiritual Disciplines?

PP Definition: Spiritual disciplines are those personal and corporate practices that promote spiritual growth. They are the habits of devotion and experiential Christianity that have been practiced by the people of God since biblical times.[8]

Spiritual disciplines are spiritual exercises we use to enhance spiritual formation and growth. The same word used in 1 Tim 4:7 for exercise is the word discipline. As physical disciplines promotes physical strength, spiritual disciplines promotes godliness.

Christians are willing to discipline themselves for their jobs and hobbies, but often not for a deeper walk and relationship with their Lord and Savior.

Question: Does that make sense? Do you think it is true?

Many, if not most Christian today are spiritually undisciplined and they wonder why they are weak and powerless to stand up against the temptations and struggle the world throws at them each day. They wonder why there is little spiritual fruit in their lives.

Spiritual disciplines are not about knowledge or spiritual truth. They are about appropriating that knowledge and spiritual truth to our daily lives. It’s how we apply what we learn to make it a regular part of who we are. That just doesn’t happen, it is intentional…discipline. 

Let’s begin to look at 3 spiritual disciplines you can add to your personal worship practice that will deepen your walk with God.

PP I. Bible Study

Question: What do you need for good Bible study?

The Bible and the Holy Spirit. There are additional aids that will help you understand what you read a bit better.

          Concordance, Bible dictionary, commentary, NASB, Amplified Bible

          Internet: blueletterbible.org   crosswalk.com    bible.org    Christianitytoday.com

                                  Gospelcom.net    studylight.org

Necessary steps to good bible study[9]

PP 1. Repetition

          Ingrained habits are hard but not impossible to break. Beginning a new habit take                         repetition. Developing the practice of regular bible study requires repetition.

PP 2. Concentration

          This is focusing on what is at hand. It is studying w/o distraction. It is looking at one           thing at a time.

PP 3. Observation/Comprehension

          We have to get it, understand what we are studying. Don’t go forward until you do. If you           can’t understand it, ask someone else. Don’t pass it over. This is where good study aids           help.

PP 4. Interpretation

          There are a number of things we can do as we study in order to help us get at the “plain           sense of the text.” Here are a few of them:

·        Ask how the text should be divided or outlined.

·        Determine the theme of the passage.

·        Identify the type of literature.

·        Ask what the text teaches us concerning theology

 PP 5. Reflection

          This is thinking about what you have learned. Ruminating on it.  This deals with the           significance of what you have studied…it is the  ‘So What?’ Factor.  Reflection takes us   to the place where we see things from God’s perspective.

Question: Which of these do you have the most trouble with?..and why?

Question: What can be studied?        

Books in the Bible, biblical characters, Christian doctrine, bible geography, Christian topics;

Significant writings from historical Christians 

PP II. Fasting

'Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason;

and others have utterly disregarded it.'  John Wesley

Definition: In Scripture fasting refers to the abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. It means to do without, to practice self-denial. It generally is related to 'not eating' food. (Wallis, p. 15)

Question: Has anyone here ever fasted for spiritual reasons? How long?

PP Types of Fasts

          The following categories of fasts are taken from 'Celebration of Discipline' by Richard           Foster and 'God's Chosen Fast' by Arthur Wallis.

          PP Normal Fast: In Scripture this type of fast is abstaining from all food, solid and           liquid, but not water. (Lk. 4:2)

          PP Partial Fast: In Scripture this type of fast is a restriction from your diet certain foods                    but not total abstention. (Dan. 10:3) This may be practiced when working with           underprivileged people to help you identify with their plight.

          PP Absolute Fast:In Scripture this type of fast is a total abstention from food and water. It is a desperate measure for a desperate situation. Reserved for spiritual emergencies.    (Esther 4:16, Acts 9:9)

          PP Supernatural Fast: In Scripture this type of fast is total abstention of food and water           for     extended periods of time. This is the EXCEPTION in fasting. This must be done           ONLY under the clear call of God. (Deut. 9:9, 1 Kg. 19:8)

          PP Group Fast: In Scripture this type of fast is corporate and done by all in the           worshipping community. (Day of Atonement) Today this is done were people have prepared and have      one mind. This is for serious situations in the church. This fast is         usually one day only.

PP Frequency

          The 'Didache', a second century document of the  early Church prescribed fasting two           days each week; Wed. and Fri. John Wesley would not ordain a minister if he did not           agree to fast 2 days each week. However, there is no Biblical mandate or command to       fast regularly.

          In Matt. 6:2,15,16  it says 'When you give alms...When you pray...When you pray'. The           church is eager to teach its people the first two but not the third. Yet Jesus uses the same           wording with the same expectations in each case. It would seem they ALL have equal           weight.

PP Purpose

          Jesus' first statement in the New Testament about fasting concerns motive. (Matt. 6:16-     18) Fasting is not done to manipulate God or to impress man. The primary purpose in   fasting is to focus on God and to seek His face. There are, however several secondary     purposes to fasting.

          PP 1. It can reveal that which controls us.

          2. It can humble us.

          3. It can remind us that we are sustained by every word that proceeds from the mouth of                  God. Food does not sustain us, God does. (Matt. 4:4)

          PP 4. It can help to give us balance in life. (1 Cor. 6:12)

          5. It can help us understand God's guidance in our lives.

          6. It can help to increase concentration.

          7. It can help improve our physical well being.

PP Practice

          It is very important to remember and never forget...fasting is a PROCESS, slowly   increasing the duration of the fast as you become accustomed to regular fasting.

PP Scripture on fasting

          2 Chron. 20:1-4,  Ezra 8:21-23,  Esther 4:15,  Isa. 58 (key passage),  Jer. 14:10-12; 36:6-    10,  Joel 1:14; 2:15,  Jonah 3:5,10,  1 Sam. 7:6; 14:24-48; 31:13,  Judges 20:26,  Daniel    6:18,   Psalm 35:13; 109:24,  Neh. 1:4; 9:1,  Matt. 6:16-18; 17:21,  Mark 1:13, Lk. 5:33,

          Acts 13:2-3; Acts 14:23.

PP III. Silence and Solitude

Question: What do you think he meant? Is it true?

          The person who is coming to fellowship/community because he is running away from           himself will bring a lot of baggage that he isn’t dealing with. This will cause problems in           relationship.

Definition:

          Silence is just being quiet and waiting for and listening to God speak. It is the                              voluntary abstention from speaking so that certain spiritual goals might be realized. Though there is no vocal speaking, there is speaking to the lord from your heart and   listening to what he says. There is also speaking to yourself about who you are and where you are on your spiritual journey. It is evaluation and reflection on life.

          Solitude is just being alone with God alone.

PP Reasons for Silence and Solitude[10]

Question: Do you think the practice of silence and solitude would be helpful to deepening your faith and relationship with the Lord? Why?

PP 1. To follow Jesus’ example. Jesus made it a habit to withdraw to a quiet place…to be alone, to speak to God only. It fueled him up for the trials he would face the next day.

          -Matt. 4:1; 14:23; Mk. 1:35; Lk. 4:42

2. To better hear the voice of God. God often speaks in a still small voice. Often the noise around or from us muffles the voice of God so that we can not hear it.

          -1 Kg. 19:11-13; Hab. 2:1; Gal. 1:17

3. To offer worship to God. Worshipping God does not always require words or actions.

Sometimes worship is an inner experience of the heart being offered to God.

          -Hab. 2:20; Zeph. 1:7

4. To express faith in God. Coming to God in silence rather than with a shopping list can be a demonstration of faith.

          -Ps. 62:1-5; Isa. 30:15

5. To be physically or spiritually restored. It is a time to recharge your physical and spiritual batteries.

          -Mk. 6:31

PP 6. To gain a spiritual perspective. Stepping back, seeking God’s perspective on a situation is invaluable to negotiating life.

          -Lk 1:20,63-64

7. To seek the will of God. To discern God’s will concerning a matter in your life.

          -Lk 6:12-13

8. To learn to control the tongue. Anyone have a problem with the tongue? Anyone here say things they wish they didn’t? Prolonged periods of silence can help tame the tongue.

          -James 1:26; Prov. 17:27-28; Ecc. 3:7

Question: How can we practice this discipline?

·        When you are just awaked in the morning in bed before anyone else is awake.

·        Perhaps that cup of coffee before you go to work or school.

·        The solitude and personal silence of the commute to work or walk to school.

·        Instead of vocal family grace at dinner, have a time of silent prayer.

·        The time in bed right before you go to sleep.

·        A walk at lunch in the park or along the beach, come get a key to the church building.

·        Find a place in the house or in the yard where you can be alone. If it doesn’t exist, make a prayer garden in your yard or fix us a spare room. A place where everyone knows when you are there you want to be alone.

·        Go to a spiritual retreat center for prayer, meditation, silence and solitude.

PP Time management and location of personal worship[11]

PP Obstacles to a consistent practice

Question: What are some obstacles, hindrances to a consistent and meaningful personal worship practice?

·        Children, work, commute, ministry, lack of variety, phone, computer

PP Time and Personal Worship Practice[12]

We are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) and because he created us, he has a claim on our lives…all our lives. (Isa. 43:1)

When God created us he gave us authority over all things, (Gen. 1:26) including time.  We are responsible for our time before God. (Eph. 5:15-16) Eph. 5:15-16 states that we are to redeem or make the best of the time that we have been given by God. Jesus illustrates this point in his parable of the 5 wise; and 5 foolish virgins. (Matt. 25:1-13) Jesus and Paul admonish us to ‘keep watch.’

Question: Do you think if our time was viewed as a stewardship, a commitment to make the best of each day for the Lord, that we would live differently? Do you think we would spend more time on that which is profitable (worship)?

Time is not eternal, it was created by God and it does not have absolute rule of our lives, God does. God has given us a small piece of time and we must discover what he wants us to do with it.

PP Busyness

We have become masters of wasting time. Often by just being too busy. There are things to be done, kids to be taken here and there, laundry, meals, shopping, gardening, and on and on.

Question: Why are we so busy?

Despite technological advances that have increased productivity and enhanced our communication, and with the onslaught of labor saving devices, our to do lists are as long as ever.  We are being ruled by our daytimers, Calendars or PDA’s…..And everything is urgent. Even in the church, with the number of ministry opportunities available to believers we may be more susceptible to the plague of busyness.

Question: Why don’t we take/make time to be holy?

Right there is the secret of letting God fill our hearts and rule throughout our lives. Take time! You don't find time for personal worship, you make the time for them

Question: When someone asks you to do something, what is usually your first reply

                   (at least in your head)

          -I don’t have the time.

Question: Is that true? Really? What are you actually saying?

          -I don’t want to take the time.

-My life is overcrowded with an unmanageable host of demands on my energies.

Whether we do not want to take the time say we do not have the time, we must acknowledge that we do, in fact, have the time. But we have prioritized our time and this new addition may not be a high priority.

Also, we must acknowledge that we do have the time to accomplish what God calls us to do.

PP Read: Ecc. 3:1

                 Matt. 6:30-33

Question: What do you think it means to seek God first in the use of your time?

While there are times when we can truly say ‘I do not feel God is calling me to use my time in this way right now.’  There are also times when we have not done what we knew God wanted us to do because of others things we wanted to do.

What did Jesus do with the time the Father gave him?

PP Read: John 4:34

Question: What does this suggest about the use of our time?

PP Read: Matthew 14:23

Question: What does this suggest about the use of our time?

God gives many promises to those who honor him with their time.

PP Read: Prov. 3:6

Question: What is the promise to those who acknowledge God with their use of time?

PP Read: Isa. 40:30-31

Question: What is the promise to those who are worn down by the busyness of life?

PP A Question of Balance?

How can we begin to find balance between family, career, personal time and kingdom activities?

PP Read: Matt. 11:28-30

Question: How do you describe your initial gut reaction to this text?

Question: What words or phrases catch your attention in this text?

Jesus gives us three commands in this text.

          Come to me

          Take my yoke

          Learn from me

PP ILL: Matt. 11:28-30  The Message (Eugene Peterson)

‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and word with me, watch how I do it, Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.’

‘unforced rhythms of grace’ describes the kind of life that Jesus promises.

Question: With this in mind, are there areas in your life that feel forced?

Question: How many of you here this morning consider yourselves to be unbalanced? No, I don’t mean mentally unbalanced.

I’m talking about feeling that your life is out of balance, that you’re spending too much time,  and energy on some things, and not enough on other things.

I’m talking about feeling like you spend your days running from one critical need to the next, always reacting to what seems most urgent, instead of what’s most important.

I’m talking about trying to allocate your very limited resources of time, and energy amongst a seemingly endless succession of demands, and

–       always coming up short

–       always feeling exhausted,

–       always feeling guilty that you aren’t doing more.

Ever feel like that?

We all want a life that doesn’t have us constantly trying to cram one more activity into an already overloaded day. What we all want, simply put, is a life in balance. What we want is to be able to do the things that are really important, without always feeling rushed and overwhelmed. What we want is to spend time with our Lord throughout the week without having to feel like we are guilty of not getting our real work done. Is that kind of life possible?

 

PP Service not Balance

First, the goal for a Christian isn’t really “balance”. Balance implies that we examine all of the pieces of our lives – work, family, leisure, worship, etc. – and we allocate our resources of time and as each one deserves.

The problem with this approach is that God gets put in mix as just one priority among many. There’s my career, and there’s my marriage, and there’s my relationship with my kids, and there’s recreation, and there’s God.

But God will not tolerate being just one of many items on a list. God is not just one of our priorities; He must be our first and only priority.

So the question isn’t how we balance “work” and “family” and “God”. The question for a Christian is how we serve Jesus Christ faithfully in every area of life.

The goal is not to achieve some artificial sense of ‘balance;’ but to bring every area of life into harmony with God’s will. If we do that, then the “balance” will take care of itself, because God will never ask us to do more than we are able.

PP Read: Philippians 3:8 (NIV)
PP Read: Luke 5:27-28 (NIV)

PP Read: Luke 14:33 (NIV)

What these verses tell us is that knowing and serving Jesus Christ is the only thing that matters, the only thing that has real value. It’s worth any price, any sacrifice, any labor.

To paraphrase Vince Lombardi, following Christ isn’t the most important thing, it’s the only thing.

So our relationship with Christ isn’t just one among many priorities to be balanced. It’s the center around which everything else revolves.

 

My point is this: in the Christian life, the goal is not balance. It is devotion, and obedience, and faithful service to Jesus Christ. He deserves it; he demands it.

Let me pause here for a moment of application.

Perhaps you’ve been trying to “balance” your Christian faith with your career, and your marriage, and your hobbies.

Perhaps you’ve been trying to balance following Christ with all the other things competing for your time and attention.

If so, you’ve probably already found out that it doesn’t work. As long as you are doing that, your life will never be in harmony. Because only as we put Christ first and subject everything else in our lives to Him we will ever experience a truly integrated life, where every piece has its proper place and all the pieces are rightly related to one another and to Christ.

·        Are you putting Him first?

·        Are you putting everything else in your life under Christ’s control?

·        Are you seeking to follow Him, no matter how it may affect the rest of your life?

PP How?
Having established that principle, we’re still left with the problem.

–       How do we allocate our time to most effectively serve Christ?

–       How do we make the time for a consistent and meaningful personal worship practice?

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