CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINES – Solitude and Quiet*
Matthew 6:6
INTRODUCTION:
A. Here I have a 3 minute egg timer, which actually runs about 3minutes and 5 seconds.
1. First thing I want you to do is get a thought about God to think on – got it?
2. When I say go, I will turn the timer over and I want you to bow your heads and close your eyes and concentrate on that thought – keep your mind on God
3. I will tell you when time is up – try not look up or around, I will tell you when time is up.
4. GO
5. Time – did you find it hard, was it to quiet, hard to concentrate?
B. This evening I want to look into two spiritual disciplines that have fallen on hard time – really hard times - Solitude and Silence.
1. Solitude and silence are not on our list of things to do in the fast pace world we live in – why is that?
a. Maybe it just “creeps us out” not to have noise
b. Or maybe we think of it as a waste of time – I’m not being very productive, in the world’s manner of thinking.
c. Maybe it is because we might have to think about some things we really don’t want to think about?
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, We are so afraid of the silence that we chase ourselves from one event to the next in order not to have to spend a moment alone with ourselves, in order not to have to look at ourselves in the mirror.
2. What ever the reason for not liking silence and solitude, Susan Muto makes a point that we need to consider. She states, In a noise-polluted world, it is even difficult to hear ourselves think, let alone try to be still and know God. Yet it seems essential for our spiritual life to seek some silence, no matter how busy we may be. Silence is not to be shunned as empty space, but to be befriended as fertile ground for intimacy with God.
C. As we think about these two separate, yet closely related, disciplines I believe we get some indication that Jesus thought they were necessary.
1. In Matthew we find Jesus teaching the disciples about prayer
2. He says at one point, But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6
a. Now the idea of a closet would lead us to believe that it was secluded: a place to find solitude and quiet.
b. It was a place where no one else would be and we would find ourselves alone with God.
D. So we really should consider the topic. In doing se we will try to
1. Give a Description
2. Show Jesus’ Example
3. Provide Motivational Reasons
Lets ask God to open our hearts to these spiritual disciplines which might just be the door that opens us to a deeper and more wonderful relationship with our Savior.
PRAYER
We will begin by trying to
I. GIVE A DESCRIPTION
A. We will begin with Solitude
1. In the “Spiritual Disciplines Handbook” Adele Calhoun gives this definition The practice of solitude involves scheduling enough uninterrupted time in a distraction-free environment that you experience isolation and are alone with God. Solitude is a “container discipline” for the practice of other spiritual disciplines.
2. Its motivating desire is to leave people behind and enter into a time alone with God
3. Practices of solitude include
a. Giving God time and space that is not in competition with social contact, noise or stimulation
b. Observing Sabbath refreshment by abstaining from constant interaction with others, information and activities
c. Addressing your addiction to be seen
d. Communing with God while you are by yourself
e. Practicing other disciplines such as study, reading the Bible, prayer, etc.
B. The Discipline of Silence
1. This is often practiced in conjunction with solitude
2. Calhoun defines this as “a regenerative practice of attending and listening to God in quiet, without interruption and noise. Silence provides freedom from speaking as well as from listening to words (which include reading) or music.
3. Its motivating desire is to be free from the addiction to noise so we can be totally present to the Lord; to open ourselves to God in the place beyond words.
4. Spiritual practices could include:
a. Setting aside a period of time in which you don’t speak but isolate yourself from sounds (other than perhaps the sounds of nature)
b. Driving without the radio or CD player on
c. Leaving the TV off and spending time sitting before God
d. Having personal retreats of silence
C. Please note that you are not more “spiritual” than someone else because you do these, but you might become closer to God than you are presently.
1. Ultimately, this is the ruling desire – to commune with God and Him alone
2. To find ourselves wrapped up in God, our Savior, and come to love Him more & ourselves less.
Now some may be asking “Do I really need these things to get closer to God?” The only answer I can come up with is that these things were important to Jesus.
II. JESUS’ EXAMPLE – The gospels abound with occasions when Jesus practiced solitude and silence
A. Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
1. Here the Spirit led Jesus into a lengthy period of solitude, along with fasting.
2. In Luke’s account of this event it is interesting to observe that he says Jesus was “full of the Spirit” (Luke 4:1) when he was led into this particular discipline, but afterward He returned To Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 14:4)
B. 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.
1. Jesus sent both the multitudes and His disciples away so that He might have some time “alone” with His heavenly Father.
2. If Jesus needed this solitude – how much more do we?
3. He needed a place of quiet to meet with His Father.
C. 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.
1. He had spent the evening hours teaching the “whole town”
2. He cast out demons and healed the sick.
3. He knew that if He waited until daylight, He would be inundated with the multitudes, not having the opportunity for silence and solitude.
D. 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.
1. Think about Jesus for a moment
2. His ministry was growing, as well as his notoriety, each day He became more and more known by the multitudes
3. Some may think that Jesus had all kinds of time on His hands, but the fact of the matter is that He was a busy man, hounded by people at all hours of the day in all place He went.
4. Yet, He knew the need for solitude and silence.
E. If Jesus needed these times of solitude and silence, how much more do we.
1. I don’t think we are any busier than our Lord
2. As He needed it, so do we.
3. Jesus is our example.
With all this said the only thing left is to provide us with some
III. MOTIVATIONAL REASONS – there are many reason we should begin to practice the spiritual disciplines of solitude and silence – In his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney give us many reasons for practicing these disciplines. Here are just a few.
A. To Hear The Voice Of God Better
1. One of the more obvious reasons for getting away from earthly noise and human voices is to hear the voice of God
2. Some biblical examples would be:
a. Elijah, 1 Kings 19:11-13
b. Habakkuk, Habakkuk 2:1
c. Apostle Paul, Gal 1:17
3. Many of us need to realize the addiction we have to noise – we do very little, if anything, without the TV or radio, CD, ipod, or other noise producing device running.
4. With all this noise we have almost no opportunity to listen to God as He speaks to those things we are trying to tune out with the noise.
B. To Express Worship To God
1. Worship does not always require words, sounds, or actions.
2. Sometimes worship consists of a God-focused stillness and hush
3. To this there is scriptural precedence
a. Habakkuk 2:20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
b. Zeph. 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God:
4. Its not just a silence that’s enjoined, but a silence “before him,” “before the sovereign Lord.” That’s the silence of worship. There are times to speak to God and there are times simply to behold and adore him in silence.
C. To Express Faith In God
1. The simple act of silence before the Lord, as apposed to coming to Him in a wordy fret, can be a demonstration of faith in Him.
2. Twice in Psalm 62, David displays this type of faith
a. Psa 62:1-2 My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.
b. Psa 62:5-6 My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
D. To Be Physically and Spiritually Restored.
1. Everyone has the need to be restored both physically and spiritual at regular intervals.
2. We see that those who were closest to Jesus need this refreshment, 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.
E. Other Reasons Would Be To Regain Spiritual Perspective and Seek God’s Will
1. When we speak of regaining spiritual perspective our minds can turn to a man named Zachariah.
a. Remember, God told him he would have a son and that he was to name him John.
b. He doubted God’s word because of their age – what happened?
c. God made him unable to speak – ever wonder why?
d. Maybe it gave him a lot more time to think about and contemplate God and His greatness.
2. Then to Know God’s Will
a. This might be one of the most common reason for silence and solitude
b. Jesus did it prior to picking His disciples, Luke 6:12-13
c. If Jesus needed to do it, what about us?
CONCLUSION:
A. These spiritual disciplines are need by God’s children to day – maybe more than ever!
1. We need to take time and seclude ourselves away to seek and worship our Lord
2. Martyr Jim Elliot said, “I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on thee elements: noise, hurry, crowds….Satan is quite aware of the power of silence.”
B. Let me encourage you to take the opportunity to make these disciplines a regular part of your spiritual life, and watch God do some awesome things.
* Information for a majority of this lesson was taken from two sources:
- Material in Points I & II were from
Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (Dowers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press, 2005) pp.107-114
- Material for point III were from
Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life (Colorado Springs, Colorado, NavPress, 1991) pp. 181-196
