The DANCE
Salvation and Solitude
March 3, 2013
Video: 40 Million Minutes
Wow! The average person will spend less than 6 hours per month, 3 days per year and 7 mo. in their lifetime seeking God. I wonder – does your life blow the curve? How much time do you spend in a week seeking, serving and sharing about Jesus?
This AM, I want to embark on a new journey w/ you. It is a journey into intimacy. It is a journey where some of us might need to be untaught what it means to be Christian and then taught what it means to have a relationship w/ God. And if I were honest – this is my story; but through this series, I want to teach us all how to spiritually dance w/ the Creator.
Several years ago, John Fischer wrote a book entitled, Real Christians Dance. His book caused quite a stir among the more conservative ranks of the faith who allowed the title to cause them to miss the point. For some, the word dance is a 4-letter word that causes the masses to rent their clothes and breakout in the weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Yet dancing is a great analogy for this thing we call the Christian life. Now I’m not referring to slam dancing or dirty dancing but to spiritual movement that seeks to be intimate w/ the Father.
Intimacy is refers to sharing in a close relationship marked by familiarity and transparency w/ others.
Intimacy is into me you see. Josh McDowell
Truth is it’s impossible to have a quality relationship w/ anyone, including God, w/out intimacy/transparency.
Unfortunately, too many believers have a mistaken impression of what it means to have an intimate walk w/ God. Too many believers think God exists to respond to their wants and whims – and when He doesn’t they surrender their faith to the next best offer. As a result, they walk through life impoverished and angry b/c they’ve missed out on the abundant life.
I can’t speak for you, but I’ve experienced this battle ever since the day I invited Christ into my life; then one day, when at a crossroad in my faith when I was confused and frustrated. I found myself longing for the abundant life but only knowing Pharisee-ism.
You’d think it’d be an easy decision, but it wasn’t. All I’d ever known about Christianity I’d learned from people who knew the law inside and out, but didn’t understand how to have a relationship w/ Jesus. I knew the pomp and circumstance, and how to sing Just as I am, but I didn’t know the blessing of an intimate relationship w/ God.
In the summer of 1993, God took me out for a spin. It began w/ a book entitled The Performance Illusion…
I MEET the Lord of the Dance
To begin to enjoy the Christian dance one must first be introduced and enter into a relationship w/ Christ.
A PROMISE—God loves you
God loves all people and desires that each of us have an unbroken fellowship w/ Him. (John 3:16)
B PROBLEM—You are a sinner
All have sinned and made mistakes contrary to the heart will of God. To sin is to choose your own way and do things you know God wouldn’t approve. (Rm. 3:10)
C PENALTY—Sin separates you from God
Sin forms a barrier that prevents people from entering into a relationship w/ God. It taints everyone and separates them from the holiness of God. As a result, our sin condemns us, separates us from God, and destines us for a Christ-less eternity. (Rm. 6:23)
D PREDICAMENT—You cannot save yourself
People think their good deeds can overcome the sin barrier b/w themselves and God, but according to the Bible it can not. In fact, there’s nothing you can do to restore the broken relationship w/ God and earn God’s forgiveness other than receive His free gift of grace in Jesus. (Is. 64:6; Ep. 2:8-9)
E PROVISION—God sent Jesus to pay for sin
The death of Jesus on the cross removed the sin barrier b/w us and God. Jesus died for our sins by taking our punishment on Himself. Simply put, God did for you and me in Jesus what we couldn’t do for ourselves—offer forgiveness and salvation. (Rm. 5:8; 2 Cr. 5:21)
F PLEA – The H.S. must draw you
No man comes to the Father unless the Spirit draws them. Jn. 8:44
It’s the job of the H.S. to convict, convince, confront and convert us to Christ. Our only responsibility is to respond when He calls. This requires His movement.
G PRAYER—You can receive Jesus by faith
Faith is to believe and receive what Jesus did for us on the cross. It is trusting in His death on the cross rather than in your own efforts. Faith requires complete reliance on Jesus to put us in a right relationship w/ God. It involves repentance, sorrow for sin, and a willingness to turn from sin to God. (Rm. 10:9-10, 13)
INVITATION - Baptism
II Meet WITH the Lord of the Dance
So where do I begin in dancing w/ the Savior. What is the first step in the spirit dance? While I could begin w/ worship or Bible study, I believe it begins in grasping the art of silence/solitude – it begins w/ a QT.
Be still and know that I am God… Ps. 46:10a
This is a daunting task for most of us. I’m not talking about recognizing God; I’m talking about being still.
A What is a QUIET TIME?
What do you think of when you hear the term “quiet time”? For many, a quiet time could refer to those precious moments after the kids are in bed or when we find ourselves at home alone after a long hard day. But for Christians, a time of solitude w/ God is an essential daily discipline to thrive in our spiritual journey.
When a person receives Christ as their Savior, they begin a new relationship w/ Him. According to John 1:12, once you believe and receive Christ as Savior you become one of His children. In this relationship, God enables you to have fellowship w/ Him on a daily basis. Mastering this relationship is central to experiencing the presence and guidance of God.
A QT (or devotion time) refers to our daily appointment w/ God, when we shut out as much outside interference as possible to enter into intimacy and transparency w/ our Creator.
It is a time to get alone w/ God to make Him central to our lives. A QT is a daily time of sincere and intentional contemplation of the Divine. It is when a believer quiets his life long enough to practice the presence of God. It is where a believer meets w/ God for the purpose of setting the priorities, details, and circumstances of their life in orbit around God. It is a time of focus upon the purposes of God and a time of surrender of your will to His will. And in time of solitude w/ God, we may sing praise songs, pray, read a daily devotion, meditate on God’s Word, or just simply be still and know that He is God. Ultimately, there’s but one objective – to meet w/ and hear from God.
We must remember that in its most basic form, the Christian life is about knowing God, hearing His voice and obeying His leading – it is about experiencing a personal and intimate relationship w/ the Creator and responding to His initiative in our lives.
One of the secrets of all growing, dynamic Christians is they consistently spend time alone w/ God. St. Clair
You might ask where this concept is derived. We get our lead from Jesus who often retreated from the rigors of life to focus on hearing from the Father.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mk. 1:35
This verse highlights (2) ideas – SILENCE and SOLITUDE. Silence is learning how to stop talking long enough to hear God while solitude focuses on w/drawing to a private place to meet w/ Him. Both are about ABIDING!
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing. Jn. 15:5
God is the source we must plug into if we want our life to work – to ABIDE requires time alone w/ Him.
A QT is not a verse a day to keep the devil away. It’s not a Bible marathon where you try to read through the Bible in a day, week, month, or year. It’s not maneuvering through a prayer gauntlet remembering every missionary around the world or Aunt Bessie’s hangnail. Nor is it a regimented scheduled appointment in you day-timer to be checked off at the end of the day like every other appointment.
It’s an intimate time of contemplation on the love, truth, and presence of God where you center your life on Him
A QT is a way of maintaining fellowship w/ God by evaluating your life in light of His Word and Spirit. It is a time to build spiritual strength and stamina by becoming more sensitive to God’s leadership and by applying His Word to your every day activity. It’s a time of devotion set aside to get to know Him better.
Some days it involve 5 min. while others it might require 5 hours – it’s not about the time, it is about having a close encounter w/ the Creator.
II WHY HAVE A QUIET TIME
A To DELIGHT in God Ps. 37:3-7
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your justice of you cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
To delight is to enjoy relationship w/ God. It is to expect and seek all your happiness from Him alone instead of trying to find delight in the things the world has to offer.
Give praise unto the Lord for His glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The idea involves properly and affectionately honoring God by giving Him His rightful placement in your life. Our life objective should be to lift Jesus higher.
B To Find DIRECTION from God Pr. 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord w/ all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.
Trust in God + Do not rely on self + Acknowledge Him = He will guide you.
Daily time w/ God is about GUIDANCE. Someone once broke down the word like this – G-God, U and I Dance. I like that. B/c when we dance w/ God, He leads and we follow – He guides each step of our lives.
C To DEVELOP God’s Character 2 Pt. 1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, seeing that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.
In spending time w/ God we begin to become like God. We begin to think, look, and act like Him. We begin to become concerned w/ the things He is concerned about.
Listen – if you don’t care about the eternal condition of other people, it is b/c you’re not hanging out w/ God. If you care more about yourself than you do for others, it is b/c the Savior isn’t rubbing off onto you.
You cannot help but be concerned about the things that God is concerned about when you hang out w/ Him and allow His Spirit to intoxicate your soul.
III How do I Begin a QUIET TIME?
Let me offer a few suggestions to help you to get started. Truth is there is no magical formula.
W/ that said, the more establish it becomes w/out becoming mechanical and sterile – the more likely it can become a regular pattern of your daily life. Remember – the goal isn’t to scratch a chore off your list but to meet w/ and hear from God.
A Select a SPECIFC Time
Make a commitment to God and protect that time at all cost. Remember to give yourself ample time and quality time. The emphasis must be on quality time and not quantity!
It doesn’t matter if it is 5 minutes or 5 hours – make sure you connect w/ God. For some of you PM works better than AM and opportune moments are better than a specific time. The key is that it occurs and that it is intimate and genuine.
B Choose a SPECIAL Place
1 Find a SECRET Place
When you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to the Father in secret; and the Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.
It’s not about showing others how spiritual you think you are; it is about being genuinely spiritually engaged.
2 Find a SILENT Place
Find an uninterrupted place where you can think, feel, and listen – and give God your undivided attention.
C Gather SELECT Resources
The resources you include in your QT are there only to focus your thoughts and prompt your thinking. They serve as a resource God can use to speak to you. It is important not to get caught up following a plan or accomplishing a goal. The objective is to meet and hear from God and to align your life to His will.
1 A Bible you can understand
2 Devotional that provokes spiritual thinking
3 Journal/Pen to write down what you hear
D Begin w/ the SEEKING Heart
1 Settle yourself; don’t hurry
2 Have a seekers heart and a right attitude
3 Ask God to show you new things
Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. Mt. 7:7
seek (zeteo) – to endeavor to find or desire to possess.
A QT is about desiring God’s heart of God for your life. Why did He put you on this earth? Why is he allowing these circumstances? What does he want to do in and thru you? We must seek Him to discover His answers
E Follow a SIMPLE Plan
Don’t over think your time w/ God or make it complex. Keep it simple! Make it about meeting w/ God
IV WHERE DO I BEGIN
I generally suggest people begin reading and focusing on the life and teachings of Jesus from the John or Luke. I believe these books give a clear explanation of the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus.
Devotionally speaking – I suggest people begin reading, The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. It is a 40 day experience that helps to formulate good habits and provoke healthy spiritual contemplation.
As w/ any analogy there is a punchline. Before you can dance you have to grab a partner and hit the dance floor. Before you can sink a putt, you have to get out on the course. Before you can cross home plate, you have to step into the batters box. The same is true spiritually. Before you can enter into heaven, you have to receive Christ and before you can meet w/ God you have to make time for Him.
In 1929, the Washington Senators were playing in the World Series against the NY Yankees. The Senators were down a run in the bottom of the 9th. Leon (Goose) Goslin stepped up to the plate w/ two outs. Goslin had already hit to homeruns and yet the season rested on his shoulders. He quickly fell behind in the count when he got a hold of a fastball – driving it deep off the top of the fence. Realizing the outfielder misplayed the bounce, Goslin rounded 1st for 2nd, 2nd for 3rd. On seeing his 3rd base coach motioning him home, Goslin sprinted to the plate. Suddenly the relay throws the ball home for a bang, bang play at the plate. The throw was high, the tag was late and in a cloud of dust the umpire called Goslin OUT! The place went crazy. The Senator’s coach storms the field, the crowd boos, but the ump stood his ground. He said, the batter missed 1st base… he missed 1st base!
