Spiritual Disciplines 12
Spiritual Disciplines – 12
Silence & Solitude
Text: Psalm 46:10
Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)
Date Preached - (01/15/04)
Introduction:
ILLUS: “The Bet” short story by Anton Chekhov – Recommended READ (Note – You can find this work on the internet as it is in the public domain).
Perhaps every Christian at some time dreams of living in the room occupied by the young lawyer.
Moses, Paul and many other biblical personalities were transformed during years of virtual isolation.
In the midst of our pressure cooker-lives, those “escape” experiences seem to appeal to us and compel us to get away from it all.
However, balance thinking cause us to realize that it would not be right or desirable to be cloistered away from our God-given responsibilities to other people.
Family / Fellowship of Believers / Evangelism to name a few important areas.
Yet there is a part of our spirit that cries out for silence & solitude.
Psalm 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Because of this craving (which represents a legitimate need), there are times when we must temporarily withdraw into the disciplines of silence & solitude.
Explanation of Silence & Solitude
SILENCE is the voluntary & temporary abstention from speaking so that certain spiritual goals might be sought.
We may need to read, write, pray etc. – There is a need for both outward and inward silence at times.
SOLITUDE is the voluntary and temporary withdrawal to privacy for spiritual purposes.
May be a few minutes up to a few days. We may use this time for uninterrupted practice of other spiritual disciplines, or just to be alone with God.
1. They are complimentary & balancing disciplines to fellowship.
NO silence & solitude leaves us shallow. NO fellowship leaves us stagnant.
2. Silence & Solitude are usually found together.
3. Our culture has conditioned us to be comfortable with crowds & noise.
I. Valuable Reasons For Silence & Solitude
There are many Biblical reasons for making priorities of the disciplines of silence & solitude..
1. To Follow Jesus’ Example
Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Luke 4:42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
Put yourself in Jesus sandals for a moment. People are clamoring for your help and have many real needs. You are able to meet all those needs.
Can you ever feel justified in pulling away to be alone? Jesus did!!
And so must we (How much more really?), if we are to be like Christ.
Time and again the “desert” and the “closet” are emphasized as vital experiences in the life of the child of God.
2. To Hear the Voice of God Better
When we get away for a time from human voices we are able to hear the Voice from Heaven better.
Elijah on Mount Horeb heard the gentle whisper of God’s voice. (SEE I Kings 19:11-13)
Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
Galatians 1:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
We can still hear God speak in the midst of busy lives, yet there are times when through solitude and silence it becomes necessary for us to more clearly hear His promptings, in an undistracted setting.
Many of us, simply put, have an addiction to noise. Get out to the Pea Patch, the creekside, or the confines of the closet, and get alone with God!!
3. To Express Worship to God
Worship does not always require words.
Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Zephaniah 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
ILLUS: Recorded in the journals of George Whitefield is an incident of silent worship that he once had in the solitude of his home. He wrote that in the experience... “God was pleased to pour into my soul a great spirit of supplication, and a sense of His free, distinguishing mercies so filled me with love, hunility, and joy and holy confusion that I could at last only pour out my heart before Him in an awful silence. I was so full that I could not well speak.”
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
4. To Express Faith in God
The following passages connect silence before God with faith in Him.
Psalm 62:1-2 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. 2He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
Psalm 62:5-6 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.6He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
5. To Seek the Salvation of the Lord
Lamentations 3:25-26 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
We need to encourage seekers more to get alone with God, and in Spurgeon’s words, “to study one’s self in the light of God’s Word”.
6. To be Physically & Spiritually Restored
Everyone has a regular need for restoring the resources of both the inward and outward person.
Mark 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
Even trees needs their winter!
7. To Regain a Spiritual Perspective
Many voices are raised to day which cast doubt upon the word of God, ridicule our Christian faith, and lift up ideals, philosophies and priorities that are contrary to a walk of faith.
Getting alone with God helps in a tremendous way to refocus our vision and center our life on God and His desire for our life.
Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
8. To Seek the Will of God
Men like David Brainerd, & Hudson Taylor found discernment concerning God’s will for their lives in moments of silence and isolation.
There is no richer Illustration than Christ’s night of solitude in Gethsemane: An experience filled with agony.
LOOK UP & READ Luke 22:39-46
NOTE – It may be that our solitude is accompanied by wonderful peace, but it may also be like Christ’s a time of excruciating agony.
9. To Learn Control of the Tongue
Learning to keep silent for extended periods of time can help us control the tongue all the time.
Learning to control our tongue is critical to Christlikeness.
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Proverbs 17:27-28 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 28Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
When we are in solitude and in silence we learn to rely on God more in situations where we otherwise might be compelled to speak, or speak too much.
Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
The Lord can help us through silence to sharpen our skills of observation and listening, and therby grant us increased wisdom.
II. Suggestions For Silence & Solitude
Let’s not just dream about these disciplines or admire them from a distance. Let’s practice them.
Here are some suggestions that can help us in the practical application of these twin disciplines.
1. “Minute Retreats”
Start with something simple – A minute at the traffic signal, in an elevator, On-hold over the phone. Etc.
Look to Christ, Pray, meditate on a verse of scripture during the moment. With discipline and practice this can become a daily habit.
2. A Goal of Daily Silence & Solitude
Nothing can take the place of your daily Quiet time. Your time of daily Bible intake and Prayer. Time of Private Worship.
Not an easy habit to develop, because of our busy lives.
QUOTE – “I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds...” - Missionary Jim Elliot
3. Getting Away
Where to Go
Find an empty room in your home to spend an afternoon or evening.
Drive north of the city and find a quiet place (park, conservation area, side of the road) to park your vehicle and spend time alone with God.
Maybe an extended prayer walk.
What to Bring
Take your Bible and a notebook.
Maybe a hymn book.
Perhaps you’ll want to devour a particular book that is on topic with the needs in your life.
What to Do
Time of prayer and planning.
Evaluate the direction and goals of your life.
Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
ILLUS: Evaluate your life like you would a day. Makes a huge difference!
Have a plan for your time, but don’t stick slavishly to it.
Be flexible and open to the wooing and prompting of the Holy Spirit.
4. Special Places
Identify some special places that can be used for silence & solitude.
They may be within your home, walking distance, a few miles drive – or a great distance for longer retreats.
You will find that some places become favorites, dear to your heart because of the experience you have in that place with God.
Like anything else monotony can lead to contempt, so it is advisable to introduce some variety into your choice of places.
ILLUS: Jonathan Edwards loved an open field. Susanna Wesley would bring her apron over her head and read her Bible and pray underneath it.
What would you do if you had 13 children!?
5. Trade Off Daily Responsibilities
You may need to trade off daily responsibilities with your spouse or a friend when necessary to have the freedom for an extended period of silence & solitude.
Meal Preparation / Cleaning / Children’s activities etc.
Appointments – Not as easy to do, but still possible
Conclusion: (Review)
Will you seek daily times of silence & solitude?
Schedule it, practice its discipline until it becomes habit-forming.
Read the following testimony of AW TOZER...
Retire from the world each day to some private spot, even if it be only the bedroom (for a while I retreated to the furnace room for want of a better place). Stay in the secret place till the surrounding noises begin to fade out of your heart and a sense of God's presence envelops you.... Listen for the inward Voice till you learn to recognize it. Stop trying to compete with others. Give yourself to God and then be what and who you are without regard to what others think.... Learn to pray inwardly every moment. After a while you can do this even while you work.... Read less, but more of what is important to your inner life. Never let your mind remain scattered for very long. Call home your roving thoughts. Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul. Practice spiritual concentration. All the above is contingent upon a right relation to God through Christ and daily meditation on the Scriptures. Lacking these, nothing will help us; granted these, the discipline recommended will go far to neutralize the evil effects of externalism and to make us acquainted with God and our own souls.
Will you seek extended times of silence & solitude?
Again, Plan for these, Put them on your Calendar.
Maybe the need is acute, then do it directly.
A time to settle doubts, or reestablish your spiritual moorings may be needed.
Will you start now?
It will never be more easy to start than it is right now.
If you discipline yourself to do it, your only regret will be that you did not begin sooner.