Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 42 “To the choirmaster.

A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. 1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

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PRAY

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Psalm 42

Psalm 42 (The Message)

1 A white-tailed deer drinks

from the creek;

I want to drink God,

deep draughts of God.

2 I’m thirsty for God-alive.

I wonder, “Will I ever make it—

arrive and drink in God’s presence?”

Re-cap of VISION Sunday: NOW IS THE TIME.

(1.Now is the time To GO DEEPER, TO TAKE GROUND, TO MAKE AN IMPACT, TO GET THE WORD OUT).

So beginning i guess with the first one.....One of the major foundations of our vision going forward is that we will as a church, a body, a community - GO DEEPER into the things of God.

Spiritually, Deeper into our Relationship with God.... and the Things of God.

SO TODAY: What does it LOOK like to GO DEEP.... and DEEPER into the things of God?

To Declare what the Psalmists said “I WANT TO DRINK GOD, DEEP DRAUGHTS OF GOD.

IM THIRSTY FOR GOD ALIVE!

1.SPIRITUAL DEPTH COMES WITH HUMILITY (Need).

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

i want you to think about this for a minute.... How deep can you go when you stay proud?

Depth Spiritually comes when we give up on PRIDE.

Write this down: PRIDE KEEPS ME SHALLOW, HUMILITY TAKES ME DEEPER

The bible says “God gives grace to the humble”

He resists the proud.

Jesus said Matt 5:3 “3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Lowly of Spirit will inherit the kingdom of God.

Not the PRIDEFUL.

Proverbs 29:23 “23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”

Have you ever thought as to why Humility is needed here?

Take the example we see in scripture often about HUNGER.

And how Rain is often used as a picture of provision from God.

God would cause rain, which would build crops, which would produce a harvest which would cause prosperity.

But what if we never had any HUNGER?

Would we ever NEED God anymore?

Jesus with the woman at the well TALKED ABOUT THIRST......

What if there is more to this than we think: what if There is a HEALTHY MEASURE OF HUNGER THAT WE NEED?

Because Humility.... Or being LOWly.... Somehow BRINGS us CLOSER TO GOD:

A desperation Naturally paints the picture of how we should live spiritually!

QUESTION TIME: HOW HUMBLE ARE YOU?.... ......Like how willing are you to Go LOW?

This is ANTI-THETICAL TO THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS.

The WORLDS VERSION OF HUMILITY DOESNT EXIST: ITS ABOUT GETTING EVERYTHUNG.

Jesus came in a manger to show the WORLD that pathway to HEAVEN is through LOWLINESS… The world doesnt understand the things of God.

HUMILITY IS CRITICAL AS A BELIEVER, BEcause its in THAT POSTURE OF HUMILITY do we Reciece from God.

THERE IS AN ART IN THIS LIFE AND ITS CALLED STAYING TEACHABLE.... BECAUSE God has called us to CONTINUALLY LEARN.

Proverbs 9:7-9

Proverbs 9:7–9 (ESV)

7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,

and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;

reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

SPIRITUAL DEPTH COMES FROM A WILLINGNESS TO RECEIVE FROM GOD AND TO RECEIVE MORE FROM GOD OR TO GO DEEPER WITH GOD REQUIRES YOU TO BE A STUDENT..... OR A LEARNER..... OR CONSISTENTLY HUMBLE.

(*STORY: WHen i was working in the finacial industry, i came very close to getting fired, i was about 3 months into my dream job - but i didnt know it - didnt know how to dit - And i had a breaking pride moment: When Humilty came in, My hunger was evident.... and God graced me with more!

(GOD USED THAT SEASON TO TEACH ME THE POWER OF HUMILITY, AND NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CANT GO DEEPER IF YOU STAY PRIDEFUL.

2.SPIRITUAL DEPTH COMES FROM DISCIPLINE (Activity).

You dont see a person who YOU KNOW has SPIRITUAL depth lying around saying “yeh man im just a deep thinker”.

its actually the opposite.

They are disciplined people.

But we must remember that the full-grown freedoms of discipline-nurtured Godliness don’t develop overnight or during a weekend seminar.

The Bible reminds us that self-control, such as that expressed through the Spiritual Disciplines, must persevere before the mature fruit of Godliness ripens.

Notice the sequence of development in 2 Peter 1:6—“and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness.”

Godliness is a lifelong pursuit.

Spiritual depth is a pursuit.....

2 Peter 1:6 “6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,”

Look at the step change:

Knowledge....Self-Control.... steadfastness..... and Godliness (Depth)

SO practically - what spiritual disciplines could we be a people who practice, and as a result then see GREATER depth as believers:

IF THESE ARE PRACTICAL FOR YOU… THEN THEY CAN BECOME PRACTICES FOR YOU.

They can become rhythms for you!

i want you to think about how you can do these either on your own or with your spouse and family:

6 KEYS TO SPRITUAL DEPTH:

FIRSTLY: ..........Silence, Solitude & prayer (The humility part).

Silence - How often do you get alone?

Do you make any space to get some silence?

Solitude - Do you know how to get away?

Solitude..... Its a powerful mark of a believer:

“Solitude is the Spiritual Discipline of voluntarily and temporarily withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes.

The period of solitude may last only a few minutes or for days.

As with silence, solitude may be sought in order to participate without interruption in other Spiritual Disciplines, or just to be alone with God

Whitney, D. S. (1991).

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (p.

184).

Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Matthew 14:13 “13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.

But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.”

Prayer - No one ever went deeper into the things of God without PRAYER.

communication its VITAL in any relationship.

To build spiritual depth we have to get to know Gods voice.

and the way we do that is via prayer.

SECONDLY: ............Reading, Listening and Doing.

(The Discipline Part).

You never see someone who’s spiritually deep inactive in their faith.