Two weeks ago, we started this Message Series called, Practicing The Way and it is about being a Disciple of Jesus, or the way we could describe it in today’s language, being an Apprentice of Jesus.
We have talked about how being a disciple / apprentice of Jesus means that we who have trusted Jesus in faith for forgiveness of sin and salvation, center our lives around 3 Goals:
- Be with Jesus
- Become like Jesus
- Do what Jesus did
When this is how we live our life, we become an Apprentice of Jesus, and it leads to Transformation of our life. And this is what we are pursuing as a church for our own personal lives and for our church family. Our goal this year is to take the Next Step in growing in our relationship with Jesus and each other so that rather than being consumers, we are disciples / apprentices of Jesus.
Today we are looking at a second practice Jesus followed: Solitude
Luke 5:12-16… The phrase “lonely places” is the English translation of the Greek word “eremos”. “Eremos” can also be translated: • The desert • The deserted place • The desolate place • The wilderness • The solitary place • The quiet place.
When we read the gospels, we find stories of Jesus being all alone, out in nature; just HE and God. We notice in Jesus’ life a rhythm of retreat and return… Retreat and return:
Jesus would retreat into solitude as he would get away from people, noise and activity to be in solitude and silence and to pray, rest, and listen for his Heavenly Father’s voice …
But he was no hermit as He would then return to be with people in community, and to love and serve them.
Solitude is not:
- Loneliness
- Isolation
- Aloneness
Solitude defined:
The practice of solitude is intentional time in the quiet with ourselves and God.
Solitude has two companions: SILENCE and STILLNESS: Exterior silence & Interior silence which are designed to lead to stillness.
One purpose of solitude is for us to experience God in significant ways and get his perspective and peace in our life. But there is another purpose for solitude, and it is a place for us to deal with our inner issues. When we spend time in solitude, we are able to confront the bad and the ugly in our own heart. It is a place where our anxieties, ambitions and addictions can be exposed and dealt with in the safe place of God’s loving presence. And it becomes the place which offers us the strength to overcome temptation as it was for Jesus after spending 40 days in the wilderness.
Matthew 4:1-11 and the story of The Temptation of Jesus…
Jesus went into solitude on a regular basis. Do we really think we can live without what Jesus considered essential?
And so, Jesus offers us an invitation to come close to him and our Heavenly Father in a time of solitude. Jesus’ invitation was, “Come and follow me.” Another way to translate that is, “Come and follow my way of life.” If you are wondering, is Solitude for me? --- Yes, it is. Now, how you practice solitude has to be customized for your personality and stage of life and living situation, But if Jesus needed this core discipline, how much more do we?
See the handout on Solitude...
Taking It Home
We encourage you to take a few minutes today and this week to process this morning’s message. These questions are designed for discussion with your family, a friend, mentor, spouse, and small group. They are also useful for self-reflection.
1. What stands out to you in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
2. What is difficult for you to understand or accept in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
3. What is God saying in these passages and through what we heard in the message about Himself? About people? About you?
4. What examples are there to follow, commands to obey, or promises to stand on from these passages in the Bible, and from what we heard in the message?
