Learning How to Be Still Long
Enough to Know God is God
Psalm 46:10
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
3 May, 2009
AM
I.
Introduction
A.
I think one of the hardest things we as Christians do, is wait! Amen?
B.
Sitting. Waiting. Not moving. Not fretting. Not worrying.
C.
I like to stay busy.
1.
I often prefer to “pray on the go” as I am going somewhere, or doing something.
2.
There is nothing wrong with that, but it is not the way to live
3.
It is like always eating “on the run” – upset stomach!
D.
It is hard, often, very hard to just sit still isn’t it?
1.
I’m not talking about sitting still in front of the TV, or when you are asleep
2.
I’m talking about sitting still; sitting back and trusting God to do what you
can’t
II.
The Command “Be Still”
A.
The Meaning of the command
– to Be Still
1.
To be quiet; To be at rest;
2.
3.
Not just sleep, but really, truly rest – deep inside
4.
The opposite of rest, is when we are restless, and upset, and frantic, and
worried, and depressed, and frustrated, and … you get the picture
B.
The Problem With the Command.
1.
There is more than one kind of Rest. There are actually THREE kinds of rest
(2Cor 4:16) – not just one
a.
The world talks about
1)
Physical rest – sleep, leisure, relaxation
2)
Emotional rest – no worries, no pressures, no troubles
b.
Jesus says there is a spiritual rest
c.
You can easily tell if someone has
d.
People with Christ’s spiritual rest are engaged in a war, but have joy, and have
time to talk, and minister, and are above the battle!
2.
No matter what, everyone experiences troubles, storms, disasters, defeats!
Listen to Job’s words (Job 3:26; 7:4) “Yet Trouble
a.
There will always be reasons to worry, to fret, to sorrow, to give up
b.
There will
c.
What did we exchange over the last decade?
1)
We exchanged a simple life of Moms at home, and the income from only Dads work
enough to buy the home…
2)
For a hugely complex and pressurized lifestyle that never saw rest and joy!
d.
Troubles always come – hospitals, court cases, solicitors, car problems, leaky
roofs, troublesome spouses and children
e.
Usually because of sin in our lives (Isa 57:20,21)
f.
Even when you are trying to do right and serve God (2Cor 7:5; 2Cor 4:8-12)
C.
The Value of the Command.
1.
Quietness is priceless (Prov 17:1; Eccl 4:6)
a.
The big TV’s, the expensive cars, the fancy holidays can’t match the value of
quietness, and love, and joy, and REST in a person’s home!
b.
Too many people give up trying to find that rest, and so they settle for all the
other “stuff”
c.
God does not guarantee us THINGS, but He offers us REST!
2.
This is not a drug, or a hypnotic state – it is a confidence that every human
heart desperately needs to get them through the storms of life
3.
Without this ability to rest, the devil is able to defeat every home and
absolutely every heart! It is THAT important to get it!
4.
But with that rest, with that stillness, you can KNOW the God who is the
FAITHFUL God (Deut 7:9)
III.
Message –
A.
An Example of Learning to Be Still
(Exodus 14:1-22)
1.
Background (Ex 14:1,2)
a.
The nation of
b.
They were now headed to a place they had
c.
Everything was “honky-dorrey” when everything begins to go very wrong
d.
The path they were walking was getting rougher, and mountains were to the left
and to the right
e.
And ahead of them was a large body of water called the
2.
God begins to describe what is about to happen (Ex 14:3,4)
3.
And Pharaoh began to pursue just like God had said he would (Ex 14:5-9)
4.
And just as you would expect, EVERYONE started to panic (Ex 14:10-12) – everyone
wanted to run away, everyone just wanted to quit, everyone just wanted to DIE
5.
But Moses Believed God (Ex 14:13)!
a.
That doesn’t mean that Moses knew WHAT was going to happen – he was crying out
to God (Ex 14:15) with worry, and concern
b.
He just knew God was going to do something awesome
B.
So, Let’s Learn HOW to Be Still So that We Can Know God is God.
1.
Restrain
– Hold the Reigns of your Heart (Ex 14:13,14)
a.
Stop your mouth from saying things that you will regret
b.
Stop your family from blaming God
c.
Bite your tongue and stop being the mouthpiece of the devil!
d.
Stop giving up!
2.
Reverence
(Ex 14:13)
a.
Just STOP and stand in awe of God (Psalm 4:4)
b.
The devil gives us way too much to do so that we don’t have time to just sit and
talk heart to heart with God, and be amazed
c.
Humble yourself before God – daily, every morning, and sometimes throughout the
day as you find yourself hardening and fretting and worrying and complaining,
and griping, and even cursing!
d.
The concept here is that we need to start communicating with God using our heart
– MEDITATION
e.
Most people do not take the time to have a quiet time
1)
Hearken, listen to God (Prov 1:33)
2)
God is Only Heard and Fellowshipped in Stillness and Rest (1Kings 19:11,12)
3)
Take walks – just to get everything out of your heart
a)
Talk with God
b)
Debate with God
c)
He hears you, and loves you, and will answer you
d)
Pour absolutely everything OUT of your heart…
e)
So that he can finally be allowed to put Himself in!
f.
If you will learn how to become amazed at God, it is THEN that you will begin to
SEE the Salvation of God!
3.
Rely
– Trust - Only God Gives Stillness and Rest (Ex 14:14)
a.
Leave Some Things to God
1)
There are plenty of things you have to do
2)
But there are MORE things that only GOD can do
b.
Why is everyone all going to the Chemist, and the Psychiatrist, and the
Counsellors, and the Talk Shows, and Self-Help Book Seminars, when there is a
meek and lowly Saviour, who is called, The Prince of PEACE?
c.
Matthew 11:28,29
d.
e.
f.
This is where your faith and confidence has to be used
g.
Look at Mark 4:35-41
1)
Jesus told them to get into the boats
2)
Jesus told them to go to the other side of the lake
3)
Jesus knew a storm was coming
4)
Jesus was with them in the ship
5)
The ship ran into trouble in the storm and was now full of water and sinking
6)
It seemed like Jesus did not care
7)
Jesus awoke, rebuked the storm, brought peace
8)
And then he rebuked His disciples, you and me, for not trusting Him – what a
rebuke!
9)
HEY! IF THE WINDS AND THE WAVES
10)
h.
That leads to my next point
4.
Resolve
– to do whatever God tells you to do (Ex 14:15-21)
a.
Resolve to go forward – quit quitting!
b.
Resolve to keep trusting – not a once off event, not a Sunday only thing, but a
moment by moment confidence in God
c.
This is a hard thing to do (Isa 30:15)
d.
It takes a lot of effort to just STOP worrying, and STOP panicking (Heb 4:11,10)
e.
Resolve to wait
1)
It took all night for the Lord to dry up that ground
2)
He could have done it in the blink of an eye
3)
But He chose to teach the people to WAIT on Him, and let Him take as long as He
wants in order to make everything just perfect
4)
Many of times, our lives are not great because we rush ahead, and the ground is
still mucky
5)
We have not let the Lord finish with us!
6)
Psalm 27:14; 130:5; Isa 40:31
7)
Wait on that wife, on that husband
8)
Wait on the answers to your prayers – they are coming
9)
Wait on that dream God gave you – young Joseph
10)
Wait on God – He is worth the wait!
f.
That does not mean that you do absolutely nothing while you are waiting
1)
Find a job, work your job
2)
Raise your children
3)
Love your wife, your husband
4)
Pay your bills
g.
But, it means to just wait on God to change your circumstances as you serve Him
no matter the circumstances
1)
Every morning, take time to just sit still in the presence of Almighty God
2)
Sit and SHUT your mouth
3)
Listen to the soft, sweet voice of God coming from the pages of this Book
4)
Listen to the peace of God roll into your heart as you roll out every fear and
every memory, and every heartache, and every frustration!
5.
Rejoice
(Ex 14:22; 30,31; 15:1,2) – Praise God anyway!
a.
Usually happens after the calming of a storm, amen! (Psalm 107:30)
b.
Oh that we learned to rejoice even IN the storm – that is faith!
c.
I believe it is time we started believing God and rejoicing by faith BEFORE all
the battles are won, because when we just start praising God, He always shows up
(Psalm 22:3)!!!
d.
THAT is when you will see and know that GOD is truly GOD!
IV.
Conclusion
A.
I think one of the hardest things we as Christians do, is wait! Amen?
B.
Sitting. Waiting. Not moving. Not fretting. Not worrying.
C.
It is hard, often, very hard to just sit still isn’t it? I’m talking about
sitting still; sitting back and trusting God to do what you can’t
D.
So God commands us to “Be Still!”
1.
To be quiet; To be at rest;
2.
3.
Not just sleep, but really, truly rest – deep inside
4.
Jesus says there is a rest – a special, spiritual rest everyone needs
5.
And it is priceless!
6.
Do you have it? Ever experienced it?
7.
You are commanded to experience it every day, and learn to have it in the storm
just as if you have finished a storm!
E.
A Good Lesson on HOW is Found in Exodus 14
1.
Restrain
– Hold the Reigns of your Heart
2.
Reverence
– stand in Awe
3.
Rely
– Trust - Only God Gives Stillness and Rest
4.
Resolve
– to do whatever God tells you to do
5.
Rejoice
– Praise God anyway!