181: Josh Sommerville – Exhortation: Hearing God Above the Noise

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Welcome to good for selfie and
talks.

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I’m Levi and I’m Chris and I’m
Brian, thank you for joining us

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this week.
On this podcast, we select one

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taco week to help us get the
Bible in our daily news feed.

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We post a new episode of the
start of each week with a short

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intro before.
Hand to kind of set the stage

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for the talk.
You’re about to listen to and

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now let’s talk more about this
week’s talk.

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Hello and welcome back this
week.

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We’re listening to an excitation
that was given by brother Josh

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Somerville at the Verdugo Hills
Ecclesia, this past Sunday,

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sorry, for a little bit of delay
getting the Episode posted, but

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I needed to get the audio from
the excitation because I really

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wanted to share it.
The subject of the excitation

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that I kind of gave it brother.
Josh didn’t give it a specific

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title was hearing God above the
noise and it just felt super

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timely when he when Josh was
giving it especially with

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everything that is going on in
the world right now with the

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events going on, in Ukraine.
And everything else in the news

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where there seems to be more and
more noise constantly fighting

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for our attention.
And in his agitation, Josh is

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just looking at What we can take
and reminds us to be still and

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focus on God, and letting
ourselves.

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Feel his presence to be able to
make our decisions rather than

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focusing constantly on trying to
jump from one thing to the next.

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And whether that for you is
taking quiet meditation, going

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for a walk, whatever it might be
for you that allows you to kind

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of be calm and be a little
still.

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It really allows you to focus
and not be so reactionary.

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I just really like this
excitation especially right now.

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I know myself personally I felt
like it had been a very noisy

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past couple of weeks.
So I really appreciated the Josh

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gave this excitation and I
really enjoyed it.

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So I thought it would be an
appropriate one.

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Especially timely to share with
everyone.

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And so, I hope you enjoy it too.
And that you find it,

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encouraging in your walk, and
you’re able to find some time to

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be still and focus on God and
hear his presence around you.

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So with that, I will turn it
over to brother Josh for his

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exhortation, hearing God above
the noise.

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A couple of things before.
I begin, I didn’t get a chance

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to talk to Keeton last week
after his exhortation, but I was

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thinking about how him and I
were on the same wavelength.

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In some ways, he started his
exhortation talking about the

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struggle of getting up and going
to work and I can relate to

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that.
And as I contemplated his

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thoughts and compared them with
the topic that I’m going to be

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sharing with you all today, I
think what I took away from it

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is the key word for us to
remember is that word struggle.

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You know, Keaton is a young
Brothers, starting out his

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career.
He’s newly married.

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And so he shared with us an
aspect of his personal struggle,

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which is getting up and getting
going, especially when you read

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about the vanity of it all, and
it can be depressing.

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And I understand that and I can
relate Because I remember what

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it was like when I was a young
newly married, man.

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I was working a manual job and
going to school at night to get

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a teaching credential and it was
stressful.

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And but I’ve learned that over
the years of marriage that God

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has always provided for me and
my family.

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And the other thing is that
there is a struggle that we are

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all dealing with and that
struggle is hopefully building

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us to something better.
I also wanted to say before I

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start to thank our brother David
for his prayer because What he

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did in about 2 minutes was
boiled down my whole

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exhortation.
And I was ready to break bread

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as soon as he said.
Amen.

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So it was a, it was a beautiful
prayer brother.

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I really appreciate your
thoughts and your heart, it’s

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it’s really good.
So maybe me and David are also

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on the same wavelength will see.
But I was going to I do want to

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share and I will share with you
what I’ve been thinking about

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for a while and it is about the
past few years and how they’ve

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been so crazy and how they’ve
affected all of us and they’ve

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affected his all in, you know,
in different ways.

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God willing we’re coming to
this, close of a pandemic that

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has challenged us physically.
Because many of us have been

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infected.
We’ve been subjected to wearing

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masks working from home being
separated from those that we

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love unable to travel getting
shots in our arms.

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We’ve been challenged mentally
with anxiety and stress,

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regarding the news, surrounding
the ladies, strain, or the most

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recent surge in cases or
listening to what we should be

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doing to prevent the spread or
trying to determine who to

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believe on whether or not, we
should be getting a shot.

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And we’ve been challenged
spiritually because we’re unable

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to meet in person.
And while we have members all

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over, not just here, we have
members that have stopped

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attending in person and only
attending on Zoom we’ve been

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through it in an insanely
divisive election between Trump

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and Biden that has caused
concern and has damaged

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relationships and Ecclesia has
And it’s not going to be long

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before that’s going to start
again.

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At leashes have also been
divided over covid and what to

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do with masking and vaccinating.
And as Brother David said,

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we’ve, you know, the disaster in
Tonga.

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It’s affected our members from,
you know, of members that we

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have here and our brothers and
sisters in Tonga, and that’s

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going to continue to affect them
for years to come.

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And as our brother said in
Russia we have what’s going on

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over there.
And that’s very upsetting and

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discern disconcerting and hard
for us to understand what those

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brothers and sisters are going
with going going through as we

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hear live in live in peace.
And on top of all the things

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that are going on in the world
around us, we’re dealing with

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our own personal problems,
whether it be our jobs, our

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homes, our health, our families,
our Ecclesia, and it just

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continues to build, and it can
become overwhelming and

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debilitating, and stressful, and
it’s hard to know if there’s

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ever going to be an end to it.
So it is hard to allow God, to

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speak to us.
It is difficult to hear him

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above the noise.
It can feel almost impossible at

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times to listen because we are
so consumed by the problems

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going on around us and affecting
us.

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Some of us may be struggling to
sleep.

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We might wake up hours before we
need to, because we’re dealing

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with the stress, we get through
the day.

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We struggle to get through the
day. and then we can’t seem to

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turn our minds off.
So what do we do?

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We watch TV or we listen to
music.

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You might play a podcast or read
a book or scroll through

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Facebook or do anything to take
our mind off.

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What is bothering us and help us
to fall asleep.

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So in essence, we’re using noise
to block out the noise.

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That’s in our minds and it seems
ironic, but it is what we do.

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Only to then wake up and start
the process over again.

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Psalm 46:10.
Be still and know that I am.

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God.
I will be exalted among the

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Heathen.
I will be exalted in the Earth.

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This whole salmon fact, is just
a beautiful Psalm filled with

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words of encouragement.
But I wanted to single out verse

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10 purely because of what those
first two words say to be still.

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Be still.
Don’t move.

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Don’t speak.
Don’t do anything.

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Just be still and be quiet and
know that he is God.

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There’s something that happens
when we allow the silence to

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come to the Forefront of our
minds.

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The ears begin to work again.
We hear sounds.

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Instead of them working so hard
to block out the noise or work

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so hard.
Filtering what we want or need

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to hear.
They can finally relax when it

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is silent and do what God
intended them to do, which is to

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here.
So, let’s practice being silent.

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Do you hear yourself breathing?
Genesis 2:7 says and the Lord

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God formed man from the dust of
the ground and breathed into his

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nostrils.
The breath of life and Man

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became a living soul.
What a gift that we’ve been

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given?
To have life to have breath.

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To be walking Miracles, living
breathing creatures.

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It’s incredible.
When we sit in silence, can we

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feel our heart beating?
The blood pulsing through our

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body without any control on our
part.

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How can anyone think anything
different and some higher power

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that work?
And if we continue in this

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silence, what else do we begin
to notice?

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You notice your body?
maybe the aches and pains of

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Life, the sore muscles, The
twinge in your back.

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Maybe your bottom going numb, on
the seat you’re sitting on.

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First Corinthians 6:19 and 20.
What know you not?

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That your body is the Temple of
the Holy Spirit, which is in

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you.
Which he have of God and ye are

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not your own for ye are bought
with a price.

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Therefore glorify God in your
body and in your spirit which

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are gods. just a reminder that
God gave us not only life but he

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gave us these bodies and were
here alive today, only because

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of his grace We belong to him
and to glorify him in all that

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we do.
Continuing in this silence,

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brothers sisters.
We can hear God’s creation.

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We don’t hear it in here.
But I went out during the break

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and just sat in the parking lot
for a few minutes.

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You can hear birds insects.
The soft murmur of conversations

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in the distance.
A random child laughing.

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And I’m sure I’m not the only
one who’s taken a moment in

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silence like that.
And sometimes many of us might

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enjoy doing that in special
places, like Idlewild to find a

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quiet place to close our eyes
and just be silent and allow

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those sounds to come to the
Forefront of our minds.

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The Bible gives us lots of
examples, of moments, of silence

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and quietness and I want to
share some of those with you.

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Because we might think that God
is in the loud and the powerful

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especially with what’s going on
in the world around us and in

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1st Innings 19 11 through 13.
Elijah God speaking to Elijah

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and he says go forth and stand
upon the mount before the Lord

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and before and behold the Lord
passed by and a great and strong

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wind rent, the mountains and
break in pieces the Rocks before

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the Lord, but the Lord was not
in the wind and after the wind

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an earthquake, but the Lord was
not in the earthquake.

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And after the earthquake a fire,
but the Lord was not in the

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fire.
And after the fire, a still

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small voice, And it was.
So when Elijah heard it, that he

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wrapped his face in his mantle
and went out and stood in the

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entering of the cave.
Entering in of the cave and

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behold.
There came a voice unto him and

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said what doest?
Thou here Elijah.

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Elijah is running away and
terrified for his life.

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But he needed a reminder of who
was in charge and although God

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created that urged, the wind and
the earthquake in the fire.

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It was when he spoke to Elijah.
It was in that still small voice

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and it seems that with God,
we’re always looking for the

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fire and brimstone to occur.
And we know that when Christ

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returns, it will be loud and
unmistakable, but there are

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lessons in the Bible that we can
learn.

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That show was the power of
Silence.

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One of the beautiful things we
find in the Book of Job is

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chapter 2, verses 11 through 13,
when jobs three friends.

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Heard of all this evil that was
come upon him.

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It came everyone from his own
place, he life as the Tema night

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and bildad the shuhite and
zophar the Namath a’ight.

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For they had made an appointment
together to come to mourn with

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job and to comfort him.
And when they lifted up their

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eyes, a far-off and knew him,
not, they lifted up their voice

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and wept and they rent everyone
his mantle and sprinkled dust

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upon their heads towards heaven.
So they sat down with him upon

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the ground, seven days and seven
nights, and none speak a word

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unto him.
For they saw that his grief was

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very great.
Job was devastated and

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struggling.
And his friends sat in silence

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00:15:21,100 –> 00:15:27,000
for a full week. when I think
upon that, and I contemplate on

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00:15:27,000 –> 00:15:31,400
that, I would like to think that
they sat there and cried with

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him.
Held his hand.

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00:15:36,600 –> 00:15:40,900
Rubbed his back.
Held his head in their lap as he

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slept.
Brought him food or something to

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00:15:44,800 –> 00:15:49,200
drink.
But there was nothing they

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00:15:49,200 –> 00:15:53,100
could, they could have said,
there’s nothing that would have

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00:15:54,200 –> 00:15:57,300
given him encouragement or
cheered him up.

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00:15:57,600 –> 00:16:02,000
So I say anything.
They showed him Comfort.

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00:16:03,000 –> 00:16:07,000
They showed him support and
encouragement without saying a

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00:16:07,000 –> 00:16:14,600
word, just to sit in silence.
Maybe that week of Silence was

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00:16:14,600 –> 00:16:18,800
what job needed to just be and
to breathe.

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00:16:21,200 –> 00:16:23,600
In John chapter 8, we read about
the woman caught in the act of

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00:16:23,600 –> 00:16:26,800
adultery, and they asked him in
verse 5, they asked Jesus.

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Now, Moses in the law commanded
us that such should be stoned,

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00:16:30,200 –> 00:16:33,700
but what’s a us out?
How does Jesus respond?

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00:16:35,100 –> 00:16:38,800
But Jesus stooped down, and with
his finger wrote in the ground

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00:16:39,400 –> 00:16:44,400
as though he heard them.
Not And we can picture the

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00:16:44,400 –> 00:16:47,300
scene.
Of this crowd getting quite

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00:16:47,300 –> 00:16:50,300
worked up.
And they’re dragging this woman

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00:16:50,300 –> 00:16:52,700
who’s probably resisting and
fighting against them toward

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00:16:52,700 –> 00:16:56,600
Jesus with this plan that they
already have in their minds to

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00:16:56,600 –> 00:16:59,600
accuse him.
And there’s instigators.

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00:16:59,600 –> 00:17:03,800
I’m sure if you know encouraging
the rest of the crowd hyping

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00:17:03,800 –> 00:17:07,800
each other up. that what they’re
doing is righteous, that what

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00:17:07,800 –> 00:17:12,900
they’re doing is just and yet
Jesus says nothing.

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00:17:15,200 –> 00:17:18,800
We’re not told how long that
silence lasted could have been.

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00:17:20,200 –> 00:17:23,599
Minute.
And a minute is a long time when

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00:17:23,599 –> 00:17:31,300
someone asks you a question and
you don’t answer those moments

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00:17:31,300 –> 00:17:33,700
of Silence, proved to be
powerful.

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00:17:35,600 –> 00:17:38,600
Maybe it gave.
Jesus just a moment to breathe a

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00:17:38,600 –> 00:17:43,000
moment to think.
Even though we’re sure he didn’t

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00:17:43,000 –> 00:17:48,400
need it but maybe it was for
them to give them a moment, a

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00:17:48,400 –> 00:17:52,900
moment to think.
Christ, not allow himself to be

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00:17:52,900 –> 00:17:57,000
brought to their level.
But his State of Mind was always

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00:17:57,000 –> 00:18:06,700
calm.
We’re also exhorted that we

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00:18:06,700 –> 00:18:10,300
should do things to the glory of
God but to do them quietly.

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00:18:12,500 –> 00:18:15,200
In Matthew chapter 6 and verse
3.

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00:18:15,800 –> 00:18:19,900
But when thou doest alms, Let
not thy right hand.

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00:18:19,900 –> 00:18:23,100
Know what I’m sorry.
Let not thy left hand know what

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00:18:23,100 –> 00:18:27,000
thy right hand do with that.
Thine alms may be in secret and

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00:18:27,008 –> 00:18:30,000
thy father, which seeth in
secret himself, shall reward,

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00:18:30,000 –> 00:18:32,100
thee openly and it’s a funny
verse.

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00:18:32,100 –> 00:18:35,600
If you think about it,
literally, because it would be

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00:18:35,600 –> 00:18:38,600
impossible for me to donate to
the Ecclesia with my left hand,

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00:18:39,300 –> 00:18:42,800
while hiding my right hand.
So that it doesn’t know what I’m

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00:18:42,800 –> 00:18:45,000
doing.
I think it’s going to figure it

265
00:18:45,000 –> 00:18:47,800
out.
But we understand the meeting.

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00:18:49,200 –> 00:18:51,900
There’s no gain by making noise
about donations.

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00:18:52,900 –> 00:18:58,800
Just do that quietly.
And in Matthew, 6, and verse 6.

268
00:18:58,800 –> 00:19:03,100
But when thou prayest enter into
thy closet, and when thou has

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00:19:03,100 –> 00:19:07,000
shut the door, pray to thy
father, which is in secret and

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00:19:07,000 –> 00:19:09,100
thy father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee

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00:19:09,100 –> 00:19:13,100
openly, Again, we don’t take
that verse.

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00:19:13,100 –> 00:19:15,400
Literally we don’t run and pray
in our closets.

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00:19:17,000 –> 00:19:21,400
And we understand that the point
is to not make a big scene about

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00:19:21,400 –> 00:19:27,400
prayers.
To pray in a quiet place to God.

275
00:19:28,700 –> 00:19:30,800
Quiet place can be outside on a
walk.

276
00:19:31,300 –> 00:19:34,800
We’re sitting in your backyard
or just listening to the wind

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00:19:34,800 –> 00:19:36,500
and the birds and giving God
praise.

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00:19:38,800 –> 00:19:41,500
And as we turn our attention to
Jesus, we see the example that

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00:19:41,500 –> 00:19:43,600
he gave us when he was
struggling.

280
00:19:44,800 –> 00:19:48,900
And hearing about the death of
John, the Baptist Matthew 14

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00:19:48,900 –> 00:19:53,200
verse 13, when Jesus heard of
it, he departed that spy ship

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00:19:53,300 –> 00:19:57,100
into a desert Place apart.
Jesus went to be alone.

283
00:19:58,200 –> 00:20:01,900
The find a quiet place to mourn.
The death of his friend to pray

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00:20:01,900 –> 00:20:05,200
to his heavenly, father to
collect his thoughts to gather

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00:20:05,200 –> 00:20:10,400
strength.
We also read Mark 1:35 and in

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00:20:10,400 –> 00:20:14,200
the morning also about Jesus
rising up a great while before

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00:20:14,200 –> 00:20:18,700
the day he went out and departed
into a solitary place and their

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00:20:18,700 –> 00:20:22,000
parade.
This was a way for Jesus, to

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00:20:22,000 –> 00:20:25,400
collect his thoughts and I’m an
example to us, as well.

290
00:20:26,700 –> 00:20:30,100
Especially now as we live in a
world, that’s so noisy and

291
00:20:30,100 –> 00:20:34,900
troubling.
We need to find a quiet place to

292
00:20:34,900 –> 00:20:37,400
be able to gather our thoughts
and approached our heavenly

293
00:20:37,400 –> 00:20:41,200
father in prayer.
And here we are, aren’t we?

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00:20:42,900 –> 00:20:45,000
Because now is we’re about to
partake of the bread and the

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00:20:45,000 –> 00:20:48,600
wine and we silently pass them
from hand to hand.

296
00:20:49,400 –> 00:20:54,200
We allow for that moment of
peace and quiet to wash over us

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00:20:55,200 –> 00:20:59,400
as we are reminded again and
internalized.

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00:21:00,700 –> 00:21:04,000
The thought that God sacrificed
his son for us.

299
00:21:05,300 –> 00:21:09,200
That we should be giving that we
should be given everlasting life

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00:21:09,200 –> 00:21:13,800
in his soon-coming kingdom.
We need to remember that even

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00:21:13,800 –> 00:21:18,500
Christ in his Darkest Hour was
looking looked for a quiet place

302
00:21:18,500 –> 00:21:21,800
where he could approach his
father in prayer where he could

303
00:21:21,800 –> 00:21:27,000
lay his struggles at his
father’s feet to gather up his

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00:21:27,000 –> 00:21:32,800
strength for what lies ahead.
In Mark chapter 14 and they came

305
00:21:32,800 –> 00:21:34,700
to a place which was called
Gethsemane.

306
00:21:35,400 –> 00:21:40,800
And he saith to his disciples
sit ye here while I pray And he

307
00:21:40,800 –> 00:21:43,300
taketh with him Peter, and
James, and John and began to be

308
00:21:43,300 –> 00:21:45,200
sore.
Amazed, and to be very heavy.

309
00:21:46,600 –> 00:21:50,400
And saith unto them.
My soul is exceeding sorrowful

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00:21:50,400 –> 00:21:54,600
unto death.
Tarry, ye here and watch.

311
00:21:55,800 –> 00:21:59,400
And he went forward a little.
And fell on the ground and

312
00:21:59,400 –> 00:22:03,500
prayed that if it were possible,
the hour might pass from him.

313
00:22:05,900 –> 00:22:09,700
And he said, Abba Father.
All things are possible unto

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00:22:09,700 –> 00:22:12,500
thee.
Take away this cup from me.

315
00:22:13,700 –> 00:22:17,500
Nevertheless not what I will.
But what thou wilt?

316
00:22:34,000 –> 00:22:36,200
Thank you for listening to the
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00:22:36,200 –> 00:22:39,100
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