WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:23.519 If we haven't met, my name's Ryan. 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:25.120 Yeah, welcome. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:33.039 You know, many of you know this because I share this from time to time, but I've been married for 20 years, which is amazing. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:33.679 Yeah, yeah. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:34.159 Yeah. 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.920 Have three kids, 18 through 13. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:48.159 And my wife and I noticed something in our marriage, in our life, and we started to have this phrase, this saying. 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:51.200 Maybe you have had this as well. 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:53.119 It wasn't, it's not just a marriage thing. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:56.320 Gosh, it's such a full season. 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:57.439 Anybody say that? 00:00:57.520 --> 00:00:59.759 Man, it's just such a full season. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:02.000 Like this season is just packed. 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:04.000 This season is intense. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:09.280 And you know, we had our, you know, first two years into our marriage. 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:12.159 Wow, man, it's a full crazy season. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.799 Life's full, and then all the different things. 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:22.719 And and we noticed this line, we just kept saying, man, the season, the season, but the season didn't ever seem to have an ending to it. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:24.319 You ever notice that? 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:34.239 And then we noticed something else that we realize, I don't know that we're in a season, but maybe we're caught in a cycle. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.959 Because here's what we would do, and maybe you can identify. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:53.200 Um we would see all the opportunities, all the things, all the responsibilities, all the needs around us, and then we'd go hard after that, drive after that, feel pressure and demand, and like I've said over the series, man, we're terrific doers. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.560 We'd get after it, you know, and knock things out. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:04.079 We'd push hard power through, and we'd keep going and the demands, and then eventually, here's what would happen. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:13.680 After you know, several weeks or several months, depending on the length of it, we would see the demands, push really hard, and then crash. 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:19.039 Some call it a vacation, but is it a vacation when you're sick through it? 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:19.599 Right? 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:25.280 And you've had this where you just you work so hard, by the time you get time off, your body shuts down, right? 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:26.479 And it says, like, I'm done. 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:29.680 Hello, you have not treated me well. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:35.120 And so then we'd crash, and then we'd go do it again. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:38.080 And then go do it again. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:41.039 And it wasn't just a season. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:45.360 We're caught in a cycle. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:03:11.520 And I think, I think that's incredibly true, especially in the Silicon Valley, where the pressure and the demands and the hurry and the hustle and and what the job requires and is it's not just a season that has an ending, but it's a cycle that we're caught in, a never-ending cycle. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:15.360 It feels like a cycle we can't get out of. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.360 And so, how do you experience? 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:32.159 Like, how do you experience rest and refreshment in the ever-demanding, hard-driving, fast-paced, pressure-filled Silicon Valley? 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:37.120 And did that question like raise your anxiety level, right? 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:41.599 As you heard it, you're like internally like, stop it, stop it, no more, no more. 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:43.919 Like, that's the world we live in. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:47.680 It's ever-demanding, non-stop. 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:59.360 We we live with these demands in our pockets where your direct report or boss or whoever can always get a hold of you. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:03.360 Or your kids, good lord, they can always get a hold of you. 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:06.800 Ever demanding, hard driving, fast-paced. 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:09.280 It's the Silicon Valley hustle. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:18.720 We go, we work hard, we're entrepreneurs, we're creative, we're gonna do it, and we're gonna stay late, and we're gonna get up early. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:20.720 Pressure filled. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:22.480 Because you gotta perform. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:28.240 Because if you don't, somebody else will. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.720 You'll get passed by if you don't. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:42.000 Like, where is it possible that rest and refreshment could be found in the middle of the Silicon Valley? 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:57.439 We were in this series called Try Softer, and we've asked this question what if the secret to the life you've always wanted, the abundant flourishing life Jesus offered, isn't actually in trying harder, but trying softer. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.959 Jesus had this incredible invitation we looked at week one. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:10.079 It's the foundation of the whole series where he said, Come to me, like approach me, all who are weary and burdened, I'll give you rest. 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:12.959 Take my yoke or my teaching upon me. 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:16.160 Uh, learn from me, watch how I live life. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:22.480 Uh, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you'll find rest for your souls. 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:23.199 Think about this. 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:28.160 He says, My yoke is easy and my burden is light. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:37.040 Like Jesus offers a way of life that is refreshing to the way we're going about life. 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:38.720 In fact, this is the way we've said it. 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:45.519 If you want to experience the life Jesus offers, you have to embrace the Jesus way of life. 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:55.439 If we want that refreshment, that rest, we actually have to embrace the way Jesus went about life. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.360 I like how Dallas Willard said it. 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:09.199 A mentor of mine had said this line to me as Dallas had said it to him, and so he said it to me, and I wrote it down, and I was just like, man, I've been trying to keep this front and center of my mind. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:16.560 He said, You must arrange your days so that you're experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:17.759 Ooh. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:19.680 Arrange your days. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:22.560 Hello, my days are already arranged for me, Ryan. 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:25.040 How do I arrange my days? 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:28.959 That sounds like a luxury, not a reality. 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:31.120 Is that possible? 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:32.000 Come on. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:35.360 Arrange your days so you're experiencing deep contentment and joy. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:37.279 I can't become a pastor. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:44.959 Because pastors, all they do is work one day a week and they sit and have quiet times and drink coffee the rest of the week. 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:48.959 That's not true, by the way, but that's what my brother says to me all the time. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:57.680 How do you experience rest and refreshment in the ever-demanding, pressure-filled Silicon Valley? 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:02.160 The sermon titled today is called Lonely Places. 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:03.839 Would you go ahead and say that to your neighbor? 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:05.040 Lonely places. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:08.639 You weren't meaning them that they're lonely. 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:10.319 That's uh, you know. 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.199 You looked at them, that's a lonely place. 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:15.439 Um that's just that's mean. 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:16.000 That's not nice. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:17.040 Don't do that. 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:24.319 But have you ever asked the question, how did Jesus juggle the demands and pressures of life? 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:32.800 You know what's interesting is we often look at Jesus' teachings, which is fantastic, and and we should. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:37.199 But rarely do we look at the way Jesus lived. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:43.199 Remember, in his invitation, he says, watch how I do life. 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:45.519 Like learn how I do it. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.399 Like, look at the way I went about life. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:53.759 How did Jesus juggle the demands and the pressures of life? 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:56.639 You know, like Ryan, he lived in ancient Palestine. 00:07:57.199 --> 00:07:58.800 He didn't work for Google. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:01.600 You're right. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:13.839 And he had thousands upon thousands of people following him, flocking to him, hanging on every word, looking for a sign, hoping he'd do a miracle, waiting and watching, bringing the sick. 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:20.879 There was never an empty space for him, and he always had people in his face. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:26.079 He definitely had the pressure-filled, demanding life. 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:32.960 And I wanted today just show you something that we see about the rhythms of Jesus' life. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:36.080 Something he did that we often miss. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:49.840 And when I show you, and you're gonna begin to see it throughout the gospels, you're gonna go, oh my gosh, this is the way or one of the primary ways Jesus went about life that he's inviting us into. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:53.200 If you got your Bibles, would you open up to Luke? 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.360 Luke chapter 5. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.519 We're gonna pick it up in verse 15. 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:10.480 It says, Yet the news about him spread all the more so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sickness. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:23.039 So Jesus shows up on the scene, he's doing incredible miracles, and he's teaching, and people are astonished by his teaching because not teaching like they were in the day, you know, the Pharisees just kind of regurgitating stuff. 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:25.679 He taught with authority and power, engaging. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:27.919 They're like, we want to hear more. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:30.240 And that's what I'm hoping you say from me at some time. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:31.360 That we want to hear, no. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:32.480 That's fine, just fine. 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:34.720 No, well, another time, another time. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:47.679 But but Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:10:00.799 His popularity is rising, and so he prioritizes time to get away and pray. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:13.519 The demands on him are increasing, and so he demands time away to be alone with his heavenly father and pray. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.639 The pressure is growing. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.799 And so he gets away and prays. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:24.240 It's a habit. 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:25.759 It's what he did. 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:34.480 And it's so counterintuitive to the way we've been trained to do life, especially if you're starting to have some success. 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:46.720 You get that job, you get that promotion, you begin to, you know, I'm gonna start on this venture, I'm gonna, whoo, you know what, I want to become a social influencer, and so I'm starting this, and you begin to get some traction. 00:10:48.559 --> 00:11:01.600 If a, you know, a marketing firm or maybe uh a coach for an entrepreneur would hear the first line, news spread, crowds show up. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:04.320 You know what they wouldn't tell Jesus? 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:07.279 You probably need to get away. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:12.720 You probably need to stop and and get away and be. 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:15.679 It's so counterintuitive. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.879 No, you need to strike while the iron's hot, right? 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:38.159 You you you need to you need to make sure you take uh full advantage of this moment, and Jesus sees all that's happening, and it can suck him in, and if it sucks him in, it'll suck him dry, and he steps aside. 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:40.240 Praise. 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:41.279 See it again. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.960 Check out Mark uh verse one, uh chapter one, verse 35. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.919 Now, the Gospel of Mark's pretty fun gospel to read. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:50.960 If you haven't read it, you can just sit down and read it in one sitting. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:53.600 I don't know how long it'll take you, but it's not very long. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:57.600 So no shame if it takes you long, uh, but it's not very long. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:03.840 Now, the Gospel of Mark's written to predominantly a Roman audience, and Mark's all about action. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:08.720 In fact, one of the most repeated words in the Gospel of Mark is the word immediately. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:12.320 You'll see it, immediately, Jesus, immediately, Jesus, immediately, Jesus. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:17.120 It's just action-packed, boom, boom, boom, non-stop action. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:25.519 And in the first chapter, what does Mark write in his action-packed Gospel of Jesus? 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:36.080 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, a lonely place, where he prayed. 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:42.559 Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they explained, Everyone's looking for you. 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:45.120 Now, here's what's incredible. 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:51.600 Jesus got up before everyone, you know, was awake, so that no one noticed that he was gone. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:58.000 But then he lingered long enough in the lonely place, not feeling the need to rush back. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:02.000 He lingered long enough that everyone else was looking for him, like, where are you? 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:02.879 What are you doing? 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:04.159 And notice this. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:10.960 Jesus replied, Let us go somewhere else to the nearby villages, so I can preach there also. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:14.240 That is why I have come. 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:17.519 I think this is a word for us today. 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:20.559 Like God has a word for you today. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:22.080 Think about this. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:27.039 The pressures of life, the demands. 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:34.000 Let's just say any successes, popularity, whatever's going on. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:44.159 They have the ability to distract us and pull us away from our calling and purpose in life. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:48.000 It was Jesus in the lonely place. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:58.080 It was Jesus when he got away to be with his heavenly father, that the calling of the crowds, the people were saying, Hey, everybody's looking for you. 00:13:58.240 --> 00:13:59.440 You're supposed to be here. 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.519 Come back, come do a show. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:05.279 We need, you know, uh an encore Jesus. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:07.279 Everybody's cheering. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:23.600 And it was when he got into the quiet place to hear from his heavenly father that he got perspective, understood his calling, and his purpose was not to go back and be the man in one town and listen to the crowd cheer, but to go to every town and preach the good news. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:25.919 He says, That's why I came. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:31.840 And see, we get sucked up into the pressure and the demands and what's going on. 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:44.480 We miss out and we get pulled away from our purpose and calling because we haven't visited the lonely place and stopped to be with our heavenly Father. 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:57.120 See, Jesus actually invites us, beckons us to carry life in a radically new way, in a different way than you currently are. 00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:01.679 And the picture that I that I have, I remember getting this picture. 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:12.799 I for years I had a spiritual director, and it's just a time where you'd spend time with a person who's uh you know wise in the faith, and he would just ask questions for about 30 minutes. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:16.879 It's kind of awkward because um you can't ask questions back. 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:24.240 Um and to help you just begin to unearth some of the stuff going on in your soul. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:31.360 But I remember he gave me this picture because here's the way we like or are trying to carry life. 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:36.159 We try to carry life, um, well, balance. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:38.480 Balance is how we want to carry life. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:43.360 Like we want a balanced, who wants a you know, a balanced work life, right? 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:46.240 It's like, man, how do I get the work life balance? 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.480 I'm trying to, it's just not working. 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:56.320 I want to get, you know, this balance between uh, you know, my my my family time and having fun. 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.639 Like we just had kids and there's no fun anymore. 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:00.720 I'm sorry, kids, you're fun too. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:01.519 Right? 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:05.919 We're in search of balance, and balance isn't necessarily a bad thing. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:09.679 The problem is what we are hoping it will be, it will never will. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:12.320 You'll never achieve balance in your life. 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:14.000 Balance is a myth. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:21.440 You can work to get more things balanced out, but chances are you're gonna work more than anything else in your life. 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:24.960 When you're on vacation, your life is fundamentally out of balance. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:27.120 It's out of balance on the fun side of things. 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:30.879 Balance is this picture that everything is even and equal. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:38.639 And the picture is let's just say that I have, you know, because I'm very ripped and strong, I'm carrying two 25 pound weights. 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:41.919 Um, okay, so not very ripped or strong, but I can do that. 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:51.440 Balance would say if I have these two 25 pounds, that I'm getting, you know, 125 over here and 125 here and carry it. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:53.360 You go, okay, and that's wise. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:57.279 We want to, there's nothing wrong with trying to get some things balanced. 00:16:57.600 --> 00:17:01.519 Jesus, here's what he's saying, and here's what we miss. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.519 Instead of balance, rhythm. 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:07.920 There's a rhythm to life. 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:36.000 The rhythm is you know what, I'm gonna walk for a season, and then I'm gonna put down the weights, and then I'm gonna pick them back up and walk more because I understand that if I have a rhythm to walking, to putting down before I burn down or break down, I actually can go much farther than I ever could if I'm just trying to hold those weights and grid it through. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:55.200 See, the picture for you is there's some weights that you've been carrying, some responsibilities that you have, some pressures and demands from work, and you're holding on to them and you're never putting them down, stepping aside to be in the lonely place and just begin to go, okay, I just want to hear from you. 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.559 I want you to meet with me. 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:58.799 You want to refill and refresh me. 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.880 And then I'm gonna come back, I'm gonna pick those back up and I'm gonna keep going. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:08.400 See, it's far more about rhythm than it is about balance. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.680 It's a new way to carry life. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:17.279 Jesus had a habit of withdrawing to the lonely places to pray. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:21.119 It was a habit, it was a rhythm, it was a practice. 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:22.160 He did it often. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:25.839 In fact, if you begin to study his life, like I said, you'll see it everywhere. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:33.599 Remember, when he uh he was baptized, the spirit descended on him, and before he started his earthly ministry, you know what he did? 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:37.839 He spent 40 days in the wilderness to fast and pray. 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:56.640 Friends, by the way, if you're starting a new job, if you're in between jobs, if you're trying to figure out what your future is, maybe transitioning from college into career, or maybe from high school into college, wherever you're at, man, it would be a good thing to say, I'm gonna set aside 40 days and I'm gonna really focus and pray. 00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:01.279 I'm gonna maybe not fast food for 40 days because that's hard. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:09.119 Uh, but I maybe social media or media in general, and replace that with focus on Jesus. 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.440 In fact, we're doing this for Lent, by the way. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:17.279 And you notice in our Bible reading plan that we stopped, you know, before the month ended. 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:19.920 And some of you thought, wow, we're really bad counters. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:29.680 But we actually will be starting up a daily devotional that you can pick up on your way out to help prepare our hearts 40 days for Lent. 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:37.200 So Jesus, before he started ministry, 40 days, then notice this before he chose his disciples, he stayed up all night and prayed. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:39.039 Do you have a major decision? 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.279 Are you really not sure if that's the right job? 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:50.799 If you you're you're you're stepping in, you're like, hey, I'm gonna ask this person to be my mate in marriage. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:53.279 Would you stay and pray? 00:19:54.480 --> 00:20:08.640 Um when John the Baptist was beheaded, he uh Jesus is grieving, he pulls his disciples away, and he goes off to pray and to be with them. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:15.680 Maybe you're in a season where you didn't realize, man, I actually need to take time and process his grief, and I actually need a few people. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:18.400 Jesus took a few people with him to go pray. 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:22.960 Here's what's interesting about that moment is then uh the crowds followed him. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:30.000 He shows up to this wilderness area and 5,000 people showed up there and he had compassion on them, and he taught them, and he even fed them. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:31.680 That was very sweet of him. 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:35.519 But do you know what he also prioritized? 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:42.160 Is then after he finished there, he sent his disciples on up and then he went up onto the mountain and prayed. 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:45.680 Guys, this happens all throughout the scriptures. 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:57.839 He sends the disciples out, think about this, to go do ministry and their first like ministry thing, and then when they come back, he pulls them aside for rest and prayer. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:02.799 I remember our counselor talking to Jenny and I after big ministry seasons. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:06.559 She's like, Do you uh prioritize rest on the back end? 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:07.759 Do you calendar it in? 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:10.400 And we both looked at her with a blank stare. 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:12.880 Like, you can do that? 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.720 I mean, it made so much sense. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:26.720 Like, hey, we just did this big push, but to schedule it in and put it into practice, Jesus not only did it himself, he modeled it, he brought his disciples along constantly. 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:38.720 He's bringing us into this rhythm, this way about life that our culture will not celebrate or prioritize and will pull you from it if you allow it to. 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:53.039 Because what it prioritize is you powering through to get whatever thing in front of you done. 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:59.839 And what if what if powering through isn't the most productive thing? 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.880 To do. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:07.839 What if powering through actually keeps you from the most productive thing? 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.680 Now notice this Jesus worked very hard. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:14.640 Because some of you are like going, you know what? 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:18.720 I'm going to just take the next three years off and be with Jesus. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:20.559 Like Jesus worked. 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:22.720 And he worked really hard. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:26.880 But instead of powering through, he prayed through. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:30.160 And in praying through, he was far more productive. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:30.960 Think about this. 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:39.680 He only had three years to instill into the disciples what was most important, bring about this teaching, and save the planet. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:45.599 And how much of that time he spent withdrawing to lonely places. 00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:50.559 If Jesus needed it, how much more do you think we need it? 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:56.160 And for some of you arguing, like, no, there's so many things I don't know. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:59.920 There's so many people who who need me. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:01.839 How could I do that? 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:03.759 Think about Jesus. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:05.039 Did you know? 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:07.279 Jesus didn't heal every person. 00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:11.519 Jesus didn't respond to every need. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:15.839 Jesus didn't even visit every single town. 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:18.799 Oh, this is going to be a hard one. 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:21.440 Jesus disappointed people. 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:28.160 You know why you can't stop is because you don't want to disappoint someone. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:38.319 And you take on everyone else's concerns as your own responsibility, and you need to discern is it yours or not? 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:42.880 And most of us put things on our place that are not ours to bear. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:48.319 And we live over-paced, over-pressured life. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:52.799 Jesus didn't live up to others' expectations. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:59.359 I like how Dallas Willard says it. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:02.880 He says, Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life. 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:08.480 You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:16.240 Like we live such hurried, fast-paced lives, we actually don't know how we're doing. 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:23.200 We think things are normal, like binge watching Netflix, normal, right? 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:28.079 Withdrawing to lonely places, weird. 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:30.240 Right? 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:33.759 Scrolling, waking up, doom scrolling, Instagram, TikTok. 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:38.319 We stay constantly connected. 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:42.000 We don't even realize that we're not recharging our souls. 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:44.319 We're just numbing ourselves out. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:49.519 The activities we dive into aren't even the things that are refreshing. 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:52.160 They just keep us going. 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:59.039 You know, um, when we were first married, uh, we had this silver Honda Civic. 00:24:59.119 --> 00:24:59.599 It was awesome. 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:00.000 I loved it. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:01.920 Stick shift, really fun to drive. 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:03.440 Um, I got in an accident. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:05.200 That's a story for another day. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:09.119 Um, and don't ask my wife because hers is more truthful than mine. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:18.960 Um after the accident, the ding that alerted you that your lights were on no longer worked. 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:21.440 Now, for some of you, you don't know what I'm talking about. 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:33.920 Uh, in some cars, there's this little switch or kind of, you know, like the windshield wiper on this side, it looks like on this side, and you just turn it like this, and and then the lights come on. 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:39.519 I know some of you just turn your keys and the lights go on, or you just push the button, or you just say on. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:41.440 However, it works now. 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:49.440 So you just do this, and the lights are on, you and your lights are on. 00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:53.119 But the problem is, is when you turn off the car, the lights stay on. 00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:04.880 And my problem was my lights stayed on, but the ding that would let me know after I turned the key off, opened the door, that the lights were still on no longer worked. 00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:09.920 And I had a habit of every time I got in the car, I'd turn my lights on, whether it's day or night. 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:18.079 I cannot tell you how many times I went to work, came back out, giggig, car dead. 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:23.920 Went into a meeting at a restaurant, came out, giggig, car dead. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:48.799 See, I think we live such hurried, fast-paced lives that we don't realize the ding that we need to recharge, that we are needing to stop, that hell hell, we have a drain on our battery that is depleting us, that has been drowned out, or is completely off, and so we're draining our battery and not even aware of it because we live this noisy filled life. 00:26:54.160 --> 00:27:00.000 And even when we're off, we're not really off. 00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:08.799 No wonder we're exhausted, no wonder you're tired, no wonder you're overwhelmed. 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:13.680 And Jesus offers us a new way to carry life. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:18.400 He says, Come with me, pause to the lonely place. 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:19.359 Well, how do we do that? 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:20.720 Let's get practical. 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:28.720 How do we actually embrace this silence and solitude is traditionally how the church has talked about it down through the centuries. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:32.400 First, let me talk about why we struggle with silence and solitude. 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:34.240 Two big reasons, I think. 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:36.960 One is the dissonance in our internal world. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:43.039 Some of you don't want to pause, some of you don't want to listen to that ding like hello, your lights are still on. 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:46.400 And this is what I struggled with for years. 00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:50.559 Is I knew that if I stopped, I'd have to deal with me. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:28:00.960 And the dissonance and the chaos and the stuff inside of me that I like stopping was scary. 00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:11.839 And the reality is, is if you keep going and keep going, you'll never ever deal with the stuff inside of you and it leaks out everywhere around you. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:16.480 The dissonance inside of us. 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:22.720 And Jesus says, by the way, when you stop, you don't come to the God who's like, Man, I can't believe that's in you. 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:23.440 What did he say? 00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:26.319 No, I'm gentle and humble of heart. 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:28.240 Come to me. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:31.519 The dissonance in our internal world is one of the reasons we don't do this. 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:48.880 And then what we've been talking about, the demands of our external world, our jobs, your your school, friends, your kids, just have demands that are constantly pulling us. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:56.000 I had just two big ideas on this, and is one, and these would be helpful to write down. 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:59.039 The work will never be done. 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:01.680 Just so you know. 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:04.079 The work will never be done. 00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:14.960 And so you take the weights and you realize there's still more to do, but to recognize that to continue on, I need to put those down and I need to go and be with my Heavenly Father. 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:16.559 The work will never be done. 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:18.319 Second big idea. 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:23.759 Time is made, it's not found. 00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:28.400 You don't find time, you make time. 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:31.119 I just can't find time, Ryan. 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:33.759 I just, I it's just such a chaos. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:37.119 If it's a priority and if it's important, you make time for it. 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:38.319 We all do. 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:39.839 We all will. 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:42.960 You have to make time. 00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:44.000 Why do we struggle? 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:47.759 Dissonance in our internal world, demands of our external world, how do we develop it? 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:50.079 Let me give you a perspective and a few practices. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:58.880 First, solitude and silence, the lonely place with the Father, hearing from him, being with him. 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:02.079 It's actually productive, not a waste of time. 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:06.240 You're like, because some of you are arguing with me right now. 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:07.920 That is sounds like such a waste. 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:09.839 I have so much to do. 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:11.599 There's no way. 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:13.920 By the way, just friends, we get this. 00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:16.799 Um you have a phone, yeah? 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:19.039 You charge it, yeah? 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:21.839 Some of you have cars, you plug it in, yeah? 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:23.599 Yeah, yeah, yeah? 00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:24.799 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:25.279 Okay. 00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:31.839 I don't think you've ever plugged in your phone and went, what a waste. 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:35.279 Gosh. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:41.039 You go over to your friend's house, you see the phone charging, you're like, you're so dumb. 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:43.839 What a waste. 00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:46.319 Like you've never done that. 00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:51.759 Because you know, if you don't charge it in, what you have, oh, I got my light on. 00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:54.559 What a waste. 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:56.160 That was a waste. 00:30:57.920 --> 00:31:01.039 Because you know, if you don't plug it in, what happens? 00:31:01.279 --> 00:31:04.319 All you have is an expensive paperweight. 00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:09.519 But then somehow we miss the message when it comes to us. 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:11.920 Right? 00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:17.279 First perspective, it's actually productive, not a waste. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:19.759 Second, it's a skill to be developed. 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:38.880 We live in a world that has trained us to not stop, that has trained us to be busy, that has trained us to be distracted, that has trained us or trained me in my hand anytime the phone is near and I'm bored, boom, boom, boom. 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:42.000 It's a skill to be developed. 00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:47.119 So don't get frustrated when you're not good at it, at it at the very beginning. 00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:51.200 Don't be frustrated if it's going to just take you, you know, like silence and solitude. 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:53.519 Like maybe you start with five minutes. 00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:55.759 I'm gonna start to develop this. 00:31:55.920 --> 00:32:05.359 I remember at with our proteges uh last fall when we talked about when we pray in our prayer series in the fall and much of how to spend time with Jesus we covered. 00:32:05.440 --> 00:32:07.599 So go back and listen to that series. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:12.000 But one of the proteges was asking me, like, when I stop, man, my mind's just racing. 00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:13.039 How do I quiet? 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:16.960 Well, it takes practice, it takes time. 00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:20.960 And the more you do it, you'll get better at it and you'll begin to learn it. 00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:24.480 But it's a skill to be developed. 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:27.920 Quieting your soul will be a process. 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:30.480 To perspective, it's actually productive, it's a skill. 00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:31.599 So here's some practices. 00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:32.240 You ready? 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:33.119 First one. 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:36.799 Prioritize it in your calendar. 00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:42.799 I don't know if you keep a calendar on your phone or a paper calendar, wherever it is. 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:46.160 Put it on your calendar and keep it there. 00:32:46.799 --> 00:33:00.319 I started doing it very early in the morning, not because I was a morning person, I was a night person in college, but when we had kids, I the only time I had where I had lonely places was very early before our kids were up. 00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:04.799 Some of you are like, no, Ryan, I couldn't ever get up early. 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.680 Well, it's a mind over mattress thing. 00:33:10.079 --> 00:33:11.519 That's all it is. 00:33:12.720 --> 00:33:14.640 And it's a priority thing. 00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:23.759 Jesus actually thought he needed it in the midst of the pressure and demand. 00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:25.039 Put it on your calendar. 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:28.559 You're going at lunchtime, at nighttime. 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:31.920 Think about practicing the discipline of first and last. 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:33.680 What is the first things you allow into your mind? 00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:36.079 What is the last things I allow into my mind? 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:37.839 And thinking through that. 00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:42.240 Second one, find a quiet space to be with God. 00:33:43.839 --> 00:33:45.440 Find a quiet space. 00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:48.720 Do you remember when the electric oh you not everybody had that, never mind. 00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:51.279 Um, do you remember when the storm hit? 00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:54.160 How many of you had the electricity go out? 00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:55.519 A few of you. 00:33:55.839 --> 00:34:00.559 You know what was so my my house it went out for a uh a whole day. 00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:02.799 You know what I was shocked? 00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:06.960 How much noise we live with that we don't even realize. 00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:11.039 How much noise, just electricity itself, like the low hum. 00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:13.440 Find a quiet space. 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:16.000 You know, Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness. 00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:18.960 He went to the mountains, he went to the garden. 00:34:19.199 --> 00:34:20.639 He loved gardens. 00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:23.280 That's why Judas knew to go to the garden of Gethsemane. 00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:26.239 He knew Jesus was there. 00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:29.119 Because that's where he had a habit of going. 00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:32.400 Where are the places where you're in God's creation? 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:35.119 Find a quiet place. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:37.360 Second, disengage and engage in. 00:34:37.440 --> 00:34:41.760 And you'll notice I didn't put anything in there, just blanks, because we're all different. 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:45.599 So let me give you a few. 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:52.239 Disenge from technology, disengage from work, disengage from people, disengage from podcast. 00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:56.079 It's so great to hear other people speak about God. 00:34:56.239 --> 00:34:59.599 Wouldn't it be great just to be still and hear from God Himself? 00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:05.519 Where we just disengage and we just have all this stuff and just go, God, I want to be with you. 00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:07.119 And then engage in. 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:10.800 Engage in God's creation, engage in God's word. 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:12.480 That's why we have the Bible reading plan. 00:35:12.639 --> 00:35:16.719 That's why we have this uh the daily devotional for lens. 00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:24.320 And finally, new seasons often require new rhythms. 00:35:24.719 --> 00:35:30.159 We often get into ruts in our life when we bring an old rhythm into a new season. 00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:38.320 From college into career, your your rhythms change because the demands and pressure on your life change. 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:45.039 From you know, single into married, often your rhythms need to change. 00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:52.559 When you start to have kids, new seasons often require new rhythms. 00:35:52.639 --> 00:35:54.159 So you're like, what is that pausing? 00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:55.039 What is that stopping? 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:58.320 What is that being still look like and placing the weights down? 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:05.119 Well, every new season, begin to go and look at your calendar, look at your time, and go, okay, what does it look like? 00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:09.760 Do I need to adjust something based on the season that I'm in? 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:17.679 Otherwise, you'll be like where Jenny and I were, where you just find yourself caught in that cycle. 00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:27.920 You know, as we talked a little bit about that discipline of first and the last, what you allow into your mind the first and the last in our When We Pray series. 00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:35.920 And a gal in our church came up after one of the services about a month later and said, Ryan, I've been practicing it. 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:42.639 And you know, since college, um I've fallen asleep to Netflix every single night. 00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:44.239 That's just our habit. 00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:49.840 And so we set a time when the TV and the phones are off at night. 00:36:50.719 --> 00:36:53.199 And she's and she was just like, it's amazing. 00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:57.199 We're actually reading books, we're talking to each other. 00:36:58.079 --> 00:37:02.400 We set it, you know, like a few days to do this, but we want to keep doing it. 00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:11.599 Just carved out a space at the end of her day that created that lonely place. 00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:17.199 You begin to become a tent of your soul and available to the spirit and the working of God. 00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:19.199 New seasons, new place. 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:23.360 I want to give you just a little bit of time to pause. 00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:38.159 I know we can't get off by ourselves, but I want to ask just a few questions and then simply let you wrestle and listen and hear from God. 00:37:38.480 --> 00:37:40.559 So if you wouldn't mind, sit back, relax a little bit. 00:37:40.639 --> 00:37:46.719 I'll ask these questions and then I'll give you space and then we'll close our with our little worship. 00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:55.760 Let me ask you, are you in a season? 00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:59.760 Or are you caught in a cycle? 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:08.559 Would you ask the question, what does God really want to develop in you this season? 00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:11.440 Being attentive. 00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:13.840 God, what are you really wanting to develop in me? 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:17.840 Grow in me, form in me, shape in me? 00:38:19.840 --> 00:38:23.119 Is the pace of life pushing out your peace? 00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:31.039 Is whatever you're pursuing worth the price of your peace? 00:38:34.239 --> 00:38:40.800 Are the rhythms in your life numbing or nourishing? 00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:45.280 And out of today. 00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:47.679 Could you just wrestle? 00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:54.639 What rhythms do you need to embrace or replace? 00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:56.079 Just take a moment. 00:38:56.960 --> 00:39:00.639 A pause with your Heavenly Father. 00:39:02.239 --> 00:39:04.559 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:39:04.719 --> 00:39:09.199 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:11.440 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:17.519 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.