Latest / Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive / June 23, 2024 | Summer in the Psalms - Psalm 4: God Always Hears

Transcript

June 23, 2024 | Summer in the Psalms - Psalm 4: God Always Hears · Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Good morning.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's an honor to be here this morning.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: And for those of you here on the front row, if there was any trauma caused by my joyful noise, blame it on your worship team.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: That was good stuff.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: I really appreciated that.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: It's an extra oomph this morning, and I really appreciated that.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: But I do know some good trauma therapists that can help you if that happened.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we're in Psalms four today.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: I just want to read that quickly here for you.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're in Psalms four, verses one through eight.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: When I call out, answer me, O God, who vindicates me.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide open place.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Have mercy on me and respond to my prayer.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: You men, how long will you try to turn my honor into shame?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: How long will you love what is worthless and search for what is deceptive?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Realize that the Lord shows the godly special favor.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord responds when I cry out to him.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Tremble with fear and do not sin.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Meditate as you lie in bed and repent of your ways.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Offer the prescribed sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Many say, Who can show us anything good?
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Smile upon us, Lord.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: You make me happier than those who have abundant grain and wine.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: I will lie down and sleep peacefully, for you, Lord, make me safe and secure.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Last week you guys heard of Psalms three in the last couple of weeks.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: And Psalms 4 is really a companion to Psalms 3.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: What I loved about studying through this is that Psalms 3 really allows us to have a very unique prayer to start our days.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: If you were to use Psalms 3 and just start your day praying that, it would be as if we were being able to say, God, you are with me.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: I acknowledge your presence with me.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Not only do I acknowledge your presence with me, but I trust that you are going to deliver me.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I trust you in a way that I can rest throughout today in everything that I do, knowing that you are with me.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Psalms 4 would be appropriate to pray daily as we lie down to rest.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk more about that and why that is here in a few minutes.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: But before we go there, a couple of things.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: One, Psalms 4 is a psalm of lament, but it's also a psalm of trust.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: A psalm of trust.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And to more fully understand this, I think we do need to review just a little bit of what Connor talked about last week.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: I won't go into all of it, but in 2 Samuel 17 through 19 is a phenomenal resource to use.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: When King David was on the run from his son Absalom, all of his really core leaders, his noble people around him, had left him and joined Absalom.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: He was another twenty-four hours into his run and fleeing from Absalom and his armies.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: The threat on his life had grown.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And we see this that throughout this in the Psalms that you guys are going through this summer, that David spent time with God.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: He didn't wait till the trial came to see him and to talk with him, but he had already spent time with him, praying to him.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: David, as you remember, also had put a spy into the camp of Absalom.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: And that very spy became trusted by Absalom and provided direct guidance to him.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And in providing that direct guidance, it went against Absalom's closest and trusted leaders, but that in and of itself was accepted and actually led to his downfall and death.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: See, it found Absalom on his donkey, walking through the woods, and it's quite a story that he gets stuck in an oak tree and his donkey just keeps going.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: And there he is stuck all alone by himself after he had raised up for many decades an army to overthrow and to try to kill his father.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: He was there and the servants knew we don't touch the son of the king.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: So nobody would end his life.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Joab went with ten of his soldiers and ended Absalom's life.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Upon hearing of Absalom's death, there was deep, deep grief.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, he had won a battle, and he was no longer going to have to flee for his life.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: But he had just lost his son.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: In that deep grief, the people around him were like, would he prefer that we had died?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like he's acting as if we hadn't just done a great thing.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: And they implored him go out at the city gate, set in front of the people.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: They need to see you.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: So he did.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: He went and sat out there in front of the people, except for the army and those that were actively pursuing him.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: See, they all had fled to their homes.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: They had fled to their homes to get away because they feared the response of David.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: See, there was a great kerfuffle that had occurred where really they were trying to figure out: should David return?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Should he be brought back?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Should he, how should he be brought back to his palace?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: He is our king.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: And so David, in fact, did return.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: And when he got to the Jordan River, there were many that came and met him to help him and his household cross the Jordan River safely.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: They threw themselves down at his feet, many of them.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Can you imagine?
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: David just lost his son, he's returning, and they're throwing themselves down, saying, We have sinned against you.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: We are on the wrong side of this war.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: We joined the wrong side, we abandon you.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: It was even said that they were begging for mercy from King David.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: As some around King David were saying, shouldn't they be put to death for their actions?
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: And David responded and just said, No one will die today.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: No one will die today.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: And they helped him and his household cross the Jordan, go back to his palace.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that began a process of David really changing his leadership influence.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: It was no longer the rule of conquering and achievement, but he was now creating a policy of reconciliation.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: He set out to really create that policy to reconcile all people and to create unity in the kingdom.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: That was an effort to salvage any goodwill that was left within the people.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: That had previously, as we had talked about in Psalms 3, but he didn't use those negative words that they had used against him.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: He continued to just respond in love, and he never said, God will never rescue you, you know, and remind them of all the horrible things they had said to him.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: See, that's what the people had expected, that he would respond in kind.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, those blessings were spoken out against him.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Those blessings were spent were spoken out over them.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Again, 2 Samuel 17 through 19 is a great supplement for this.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's worth the investment to just spend a few hours just reading through and contemplating that.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Just as a little foreshadowing, this isn't the last time King David is ever going to have to deal with a rebellion.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: And that like the plot thickens.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: He's going to have to deal with this again.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so read on into chapters 20 and beyond and enjoy the adventures of King David as he continually deals with those who come against him.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: But returning to Psalms 4, I am going to make technology work.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm going to take a little bit of a bus tour of Psalms 4 today.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to make three stops.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: The three stops that I plan on making, if I don't linger any too many points too long, is that the first one is God always acts righteously.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: God always acts righteously.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: The second stop that we'll make is that God prospers the hopeful.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: God prospers the hopeful.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: And the third and final point, God brings peace to the humble.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: He brings peace to the humble.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Dallas Willard is famous for saying that he woke up every day and before his feet hit the ground.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: I guess he had significant foot pain.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so he would pause before his feet ever hit the ground.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: And he would say, Father, I acknowledge your presence with me.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I anxiously await what you are going to do today in and through me.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Does that impact anybody else in here besides me?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Talk about just bringing God into the picture intentionally to try and not just acknowledge, but to say He is alive and working in us today.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Not just with David, but with each of us today.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: David demonstrated in Psalms 3 his trust in God regardless of his circumstances, and that he could sleep and rest because of that trust.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: But in Psalms 4, David begins by acknowledging his pain, and he also is able to speak about his confidence with God and that he would not leave him in his time of pain.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: He says, When I call out, answer me.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: O God who vindicates me, though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide open space.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Have mercy on me and respond to my prayer.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: And David really likes this language.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: And he uses it multiple places.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: One of my favorites is in Psalms 18 that you guys may be going through before too long in this summer.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: But in the middle of Psalms 18, on the psalmist's worst day, he acknowledged that he was in the deep waters, that he was in a tight corner, being pummeled by his enemy.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: He found that they were too much for him.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: Everything that he was trying, they were too much for him.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: And from on high, God reached down into the deep waters and not only defeated his enemy because the enemy was not too much for him.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: Amen?
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: But he drew him out into the open space with him because of how valiant the psalmist was, how educated, how strong and intelligent he was.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: No, not at all.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: He drew me out into the open space with him because he delighted in me, the psalmist says.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: The enemy was too much, and he knew it.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: There wasn't anything that he was being applauded for independently.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: He got the freedom with him because he was delighted in.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you take nothing else away, I think that could be a meat of a message, maybe a couple.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: How much time do we devote daily to thinking about our Lord and Savior delights in me?
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Something to grapple with today.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: Think about that.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: Let that sink in.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's not our productivity, our possessions, it's his delight in us.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: I digress.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: He knew that God would act righteously because God had set us apart for himself, verse 3.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: We can be confident that he will hear us and vindicate us.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: We must be careful when we think about him vindicating us.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: In other Psalms, it talks about, you know, enemies being struck down and God acting very decisively on the behalf of his people.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so then you see David sitting here being really hemmed in and put in a tight corner.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: And we start to think about what is it that we expect from God.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: And we're a people, me included, that can become very easily consumed with our own beliefs about who God is, how God acts, when he will act, and how he shall act on our behalf.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: And when he doesn't, we can get kind of hacked off.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's just me.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: But when we get so consumed by our beliefs, there's a wrong narrative that gets created about who he is and our relationship with him.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: And out of that wrong narrative, we are much more frequently exposed to anxiety, depression, and confusion, and just flat being overwhelmed.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes that vindication can come externally, like those enemies being struck down.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: He can still do that.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: Or sometimes we can experience this vindication internally through sleep, through rest, through security with him.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: David knew that his situation was beyond him, but he also knew he also knew where he could find help, and that was with the Lord.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's interesting.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: We go to the New Testament, and frequently people think, well, what is it that the Old Testament has for us?
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think it's everything that it has for us and points us to the cross and how in the New Testament it's been impacted by that cross.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: But I tell you, the disciples, there's a great picture of what can happen to each of us.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: The disciples had been with Jesus watching great miracles occur.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: And in that process, they finish feeding many, many people, get on a boat, go out onto the water.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: They just allow him to the side, and they are navigating the waters.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: The storms start to swell and they become really overwhelmed by the winds and the waves, swamping their boat.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: They tried everything in their abilities.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: They were mastermen in you know navigating waters.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: They tried everything in their power.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: And then when it didn't work, they were like, How can you sleep?
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Why aren't you with us?
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: Rescue us.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus is like, yeah of little faith.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: And he calms the waters and the wind.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's easy to really chastise them and be like, how is it that you don't see what he's capable of?
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: But I would propose today that maybe many of us, I know for me, that internal ideology can happen pretty quickly.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: That I believe that I have got this.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: The winds and the waves are calm, the seas are smooth, and I've got this until I don't.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then I have to reach out.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you resting?
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: Wake up, rescue me.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: And Jesus is just like, Corey, yeah, of little faith.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm here.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: In everything I want to be with you.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: Not just when you're in trouble.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: And we have to be careful about that.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: Don't wait until you are in a tight spot to reach out to him.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think it's always intentional that we don't cry out until we're in pain, but I tell you, I think it can happen very easily.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: Do you ever find yourself thinking like that?
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: I've got this.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: My business is going really well.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: My marriage, my parenting, rock star status.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: I've got this.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: Until we don't.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: I would encourage you to spend some time with him alone, inviting him further into our daily lives.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: Really to be able to really inspect our motives to evaluate us and to find anything that is not of him.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: When I said alone, here's one thing that a theologian once said that I think is really powerful.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: He said, solitude is the furnace of transformation.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: Without solitude, we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: Why is that?
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: Solitude is the furnace of transformation.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: I think that if we look at that, this quote really underscores the transformative power of solitude and rest, suggesting that taking time away from the busyness of our lives is critical for personal and spiritual growth.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, you guys are gonna have to probably pull me off stage.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: We should be done by three o'clock today, no problem.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: That was point one.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: Super awesome.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Let's cruise on to the second stop.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: God's people can easily be filled with our own understanding of God and how he should respond based out of our false narratives about who he is and who we are in relationship with him.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I tell you, we, as I mentioned earlier, that that exposes you to anxiety, depression, confusion, and significantly other mental health issues.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably have realized that in our culture right now, mental health statistics are skyrocketing.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: There's no shortage of work in our industry.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: I wish there was.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: I really wish there was.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: One statistic from the National Institute of Health, even though I believe that this statistic is way underreported, it states that 25% of children 12 and under struggle with anxiety at a clinically significant level.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: 50% of teens struggle with anxiety at a clinically significant level.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's 13 to 18 years old.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: 12% of adults.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: Who in this room thinks that's low?
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: 12%, yeah.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: In 2022, 28% of teen girls struggled with clinically significant depressive episodes, and roughly 12% of teen boys.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to check out more statistics, I don't have time this morning to go through a ton more, but look at the anxious generation and just write that in your margin somewhere.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: But the anxious generation website, there's a book, but the website lists some great research that is very well done and the impacts of that busyness of our lives and our mental health and mental well-being.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: But moving along, the people following David knew this experience as well.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_00: And they said, Who can show us anything good?
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: We're looking everywhere for somebody to show us something good these days.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: So were his followers.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: David responded with wise counsel, with a well-known benediction.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let the light of your face shine on us, Lord.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: He got that from an Aaronic benediction which says, May the Lord bless you and protect you.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: And you can look further into that in Numbers 6, 24 through 26.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: But David is simply requesting that the Lord be faithful to his promises and that he shows up.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_00: And when that happens, it's crazy when we can say he has shown up and he is present.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: When we identify that, it becomes clear to us that he is with us.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: And the more that we understand that he is with us, the more that we grow in dependence upon him.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's like it just keeps going.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_00: And our eternal security, the more we experience that and step into that, the more security we have in the day-to-day experiences.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_00: And the more day-to-day security we have in our experiences, the more fully we live out eternal security.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: One commentator had said, this sums it up, that he had more satisfaction, David did, in seeing the reconciled countenance on God beaming upon him than if he had possessed the garners full of corn and cellars full of wine.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_00: Love that.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: In self-reflection, I believe that today we are trusting and seeking many things outside of him.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: What are our hearts and minds filled with today?
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_00: Is there subtle idolatry that we go to Facebook or Instagram to find our comfort in times of pain and hurt?
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: I want to be clear as we understand, as David did, that God would prosper the hopeful, but he didn't say that we would be without pain.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: I believe hope lies in the definition of joy, in the assurance that we will all be made right, and we can all have joy and hope in knowing that it's only a matter of time.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: That question is challenging, I think, especially for those Christians trying to find hope, really in the best possible way.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: And then the doctor says you have cancer.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: Your spouse says, I'm done.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: Your kids come home and say, I'm changing my lifestyle.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: I tell you, the challenges arise wave after wave.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: Father, help us.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: Rest within your plan.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: On to stop three.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: What time do I need to be done again?
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: What time is it that we have to be done?
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_00: Fifteen minutes.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: Only a little bit longer.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: Stop three.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: God gives peace and rest to the humble.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: I want to park here for a minute.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_00: David spent time before the Dark Valley.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: He had confidence that God was with him and knew the importance of sleep and rest.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: Our culture has lost this.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: The idea of what it means to rest has been so confounded that it's almost been transitioned to a negative if you're resting.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: If you're resting, it must mean that you're lazy.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: It must mean that you're really not with the Father.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: You're not on mission.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: You're not doing enough.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: You're not productive enough.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: Just the opposite.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: I believe that it's so critically important that we really adjust our view of the importance of rest as a spiritual discipline.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: This needs to be recalibrated more today than ever before.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: James Bryant Smith, the author of the Good and Beautiful God series, if you guys ever get a chance, please pick that up.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's phenomenal, four-book series.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: James Bryant Smith.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: He said, he came to our retreat for Christ First Counseling Center and shared this thought.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: He said, the number one enemy of Christian spiritual formation today isn't knowledge, isn't not doing enough, not having the right program.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's exhaustion.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: The number one enemy for spirit, Christian spiritual formation today is exhaustion.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: How many of you can say amen to that?
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: If we don't change our perspective of what it means to rest and the importance of rest for spiritual formation, then we will have rest forced upon us, whether that's through physical, emotional, and mental fatigue.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: Rest is a sign and act of trust in God.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's interesting that the literature shows that the lack of effective rest accounts for 20% of all medical visits.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: Twenty percent of all medical visits.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: It significantly leads to things like obesity, diabetes.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: Look at blood pressure, we look at really even some early signs of dementia, brain processing difficulties.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: The amount of health implications for each of you is significant.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: We can kind of almost say sleep and rest are the same thing, but it's not.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: You can sleep every night, but never be rested with him.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: To be rested with him, we really get the healing that comes from him from our core.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_00: Insufficient sleep, obviously, I think is way underreported in the statistics.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think we want to champion how tired we are of doing good.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_00: I hear laughter.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that that's uh I hope what I said came out correctly, but uh I do believe that.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_00: Addressing these barriers of sleep difficulties often involves a combination of lifestyle changes, improving sleep environments, seeking medical or and or psychological help to manage stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders overall.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_00: Difficulties with sleep and rest can also be directly spiritually related.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Kurt Thompson, a noted psychiatrist and known for integrating neuroscience with Christian spirituality, stated: we are most fully alive and most fully human and most fully awake when we are experienced delight in each other's presence and delight in the presence of God.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_00: This requires rhythms of rest and connection.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to read more of his work, The Soul of Desire is phenomenal.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_00: He's written several, The Anatomy of the Soul.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: You can read more of his really neurotheology that he has put together.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_00: David knew the importance of creating regular rhythm and being with God and resting with him.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, inside the walls of our Christian church, we have emphasized and rewarded achievement and productivity, while rest is often characterized as counterculture.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_00: Thompson counters this with saying that it is in rest that we are reminded of our true identity.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of every day, I think it's possible that you could benefit from this too.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_00: I know it made a huge difference in my world, but you know, some days getting home and run all day, you want to lay your head down and truly rest, but something's just eating.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't have a lot of things that eat me and keep my brain twirling.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_00: But that's not because that's on accident.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_00: I've had a very intentional journey to try to counter that as much as I can, to not be overwhelmed by my negative self-criticism, the negative false narratives about self and others and who he is.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's been very intentional in my life because of a very intentional process of being mentored and trying to invite people in to help me grow because the Lord knows I need it.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: You know, every day I, when things are going well in my mind and I'm operating on all cylinders, I try to review my day hour by hour.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: And just asking him, God, where did you show up?
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_00: Where were you?
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: Where were you?
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_00: Did I meet your expectations in that hour?
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_00: Father, show me, did I miss it?
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if I did miss it, what do you want me to do about it tomorrow?
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think those three easy things there, I think, have been really pivotal for me.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing that's been really helpful for me is Trevor Hudson, a South African pastor, created an exercise of spiritual remembering, our own spiritual stories.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_00: I wonder if David hadn't been through what he had been through in his life, if he could have so quickly and confidently said, You are with me.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: He knew because he remembered all the stories from before of how God showed up, how he blew it, and how God showed up with grace and mercy.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_00: That had great power for me, and I hope that it can for you as well.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_00: Just think back through, and it takes a couple of hours to just set back and say, where have you been in my life?
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_00: What are some of those critical moments that you walked through the storms of life with me?
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_00: Our security and peace cannot come from wealth, wisdom, position, or possession.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_00: We are only safe in the Lord.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_00: As David writes, You alone, Lord, make me live in safety.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_00: Locked doors, security systems, bodyguards will all prove inadequate.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_00: Our safety comes from the Lord, who will never leave or abandon us.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_00: Our safety and security are found in a Savior who said, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: No one will snatch them out of my hand.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_00: John 10, 28.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: We are safe and we can sleep.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: I probably missed a few slides here.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_00: Really subtle things to remind of humanity.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_00: Anybody want to take a picture of that?
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_00: You can really quick as I just cruise through that.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_00: Remind me to fix that next service.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: Or you can just come back, spend the rest of the morning with me.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's great too.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_00: Here's some practical life hacks for intentional rest.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_00: Always remember that rest is a form of trust.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_00: When we think about Sabbath, I tell you, I think that we get a picture automatically in our brain of what that should look like based on the people around us who practice Sabbath or say they practice Sabbath and what they say they do.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_00: But Tim Keller says this: he says, Because the world is full of ugly things, we need the Sabbath to feed our soul with beauty.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_00: Sabbath is a declaration of our freedom.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_00: It means you are not a slave, not to your culture's expectation, your family's hopes, your medical school demands, not even your own insecurities.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_00: Your Sabbath needs to be uniquely created and designed for you.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: That may be in an entire day for you of rest around the house lounging, or it could be in small increments of time throughout your week.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_00: I can just hear some of the moms in the room going, there isn't a minute that goes by that somebody doesn't want and demand something from me.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_00: Amen, ladies.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, like I'm standing up here like I know.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_00: I broke into this field working with only pregnant women and women with birth to three, and I figure if I can survive a bunch of pregnant ladies and young children at that age, I could survive anything.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_00: But the idea that you would have a whole day of Sabbath is a little unreasonable.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if we have set up a standard of this is what Sabbath looks like, only this, and it doesn't fit my world, then something's wrong with me, and I'm never going to be filled.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_00: So just spend time thinking about and designing with him something that shows that you're not a slave to your culture, your family, or your own insecurities.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_00: The second.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_00: Oops, that was awesome.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_00: Set the reasonable expectations, the spiritual disciplines, that really there are so many.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_00: Ordering your internal world is a great book, and there's so many resources out there for us.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_00: And we can be spending so much energy and resources trying to perfect what the spiritual disciplines are and checking them off the list.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, as soon as we do that, it ceases to be a spiritual discipline.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_00: Amen?
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_00: But take small, reasonable steps for you.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_00: Your personality and temperament will impact how your holy leisure time looks with Jesus.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_00: Holy leisure time really is just setting with him and doing nothing.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_00: Doing nothing with him.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_00: Enjoying his company, lingering with him.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_00: Check out these two great apps, Lectio 365.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_00: The voices on there I listen to first thing in the morning and the end of the day.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_00: Their voices are like old friends speaking to me.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_00: Every day at the end of the day, in that app, it says this.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_00: That is just so just comforting and settling for me.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_00: It says, God of all seasons, the sun has set.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_00: The night has gathered in.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_00: My soul sinks into your rest, trusting now in the resurrection to come.
• 43:39
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_00: Every night it says that, and such comfort just comes over me, just thinking about that.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_00: There's a pause app that you can set up to remind you to take a break and to get rest throughout your day.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_00: John Eldridge has some great resources in there.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_00: The Daily Office by Peter Scherzo has some phenomenal resources in it.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: You can get on your app for Kindle.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_00: The Good and Beautiful God series that I talked about from James Bryant Smith.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_00: It lists at the end of every chapter some practical soul care techniques.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_00: How do I care richly for my soul?
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_00: And try that sometime, reviewing your day hour by hour.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_00: Asking him where he showed up, where you may have missed his expectations and what he would have you to do tomorrow.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_00: So the first half of my message is complete.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_00: You'll have time for coffee and donuts and then come back on in and we'll do this again.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_00: But I would be honored to just pray a blessing over you today, if I may.
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_00: Just join me in prayer.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_00: Father God, thank you.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for your great benediction that you brought in and said, Really, may your face shine upon each of us.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_00: Father, help us to allow you to shine through us.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_00: May us live confidently in the presence and knowledge that you're with us, that it is only through you where true security, safety, and rest can be achieved.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_00: Father, if there is anyone in this audience, in person or online, that knows not of that deep rest with you, I ask that you just move in their hearts and minds.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_00: May your Holy Spirit just nudge them to reach out to the person next to them, to myself or other staff that are here to help lead really to that deeper place of rest within us with you.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_00: Father, just know how much we love you and help tune our ears to hearing your voice sing with the light over us.
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_00: Father, it's in your Son's powerful name we pray.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_00: Have a great week.