Sacred Rhythms - The Practice of Sacred Rhythms, Part 1

Have you ever thought to yourself, how did that person get to be so wise or so patient are so kind were so generous and educated guess that just didn't happen overnight will today were to talk about sacred rhythms. God's plan to help us become all that we long to be stay with welcome to this Wednesday.

Addition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry between the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram Jadeja begins a new series sacred rhythms cultivating a lifestyle that makes room for God. If you've ever wondered what give certain Christians the grounding instability spent the stiffest storms series will answer the question. Sacred rhythms are the spiritual practices that keep our hearts close to God and give us the ability to be at peace. No matter what your stripper this first message practice of sacred rhythms.

Everybody in this room has what I would call rhythms just in your own mind right now. Think about when you get up what you doing to get your path where you go to work. Some of you work out some don't. I sent some check the Wall Street Journal.

Some get up immediately. Look at your phone as some do certain things on Friday nights different things on Wednesday nights part of many of your rhythms. You come here on Sunday morning.

Most of you, 930.

Others have a different rhythm 11. What you think what you watch what your favorite shows are the path to work. What you do when you turn on either the radio or play your phone in the car every aspect of your life is your rhythm, your ways, your habits, what you currently do is producing the person sitting in your seat. It's what you think. It's where you been, it's how you have arranged your life.

Some of you very intentionally have arranged your life. Others are kind responding to all the stuff happening around you and so will talk about his sacred rhythms, sacred rhythms are specific way to arrange your life to cultivate a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. So you can arrange your life.

Everything from what you read what you think about what you do when and why you do it you arrange your life in a very specific way to have a very personal, intimate relationship with Christ.

The goal of sacred rhythms is literally these spiritual practices is what I would call true spirituality so often there's all kind of spirituality, but the Scripture would say the true spirituality is nothing more than the life of Christ. It's the life of Christ, reproduced in a believer true spirituality is the life of Christ reproduced in the life of the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit. True spirituality is the life of Christ reproduced in the life of the believer by the power the Holy Spirit as you cooperate and respond to his word in faith and obedience and so it's it's not about reading the Bible more praying, more of being more moral doing all kind of certain things to somehow earn God's favor.

It eternal life. It's letting his life get reproduced in you and hear something that's been very helpful to me.

The number one agenda. The God has for you more than your happiness more than a successful marriage or great singleness of business success is number one agenda is to make you like a son.

Every up every down every relationship, every circumstance. God is sovereignly orchestrating to get your attention to draw you to himself and to little by little by little, make you more and more like Jesus, so that in your thoughts, your word, your deed and your motives, you would literally ride ride in your car or drive your car and go to work the way Jesus would if he was driving in your car you would spend your money and treat people who treat you badly. The way Jesus would if he lived inside your body. You would do everything every day where Jesus living out through your personality so that you are in fact the light of the world, and the question is how does that happen. How in the world does the spirit of God take normal regular people like us and over time produce progressively, little by little by little the life of Christ in us and part of that is the sacred rhythms and so we do that I want to ask you open to Mark chapter 4 and in Mark chapter 4 I we get a picture of what you have to understand about sacred rhythms because apparently it's real easy to make them an end instead of the means people for centuries have figured out how to make prayer. The end are God's word. The end or fasting.

The Andorra pilgrimage.

The end or praying many times a day and what I want you to do is look at the end of chapter 3 because there's a context I'm going to go over this passage rather quickly.

But what I want you to get is the overarching principles because we have to get this before we talk about sacred rhythms and then I'll just tell you my personal experience of the rhythms that have helped me the most. The God is used to change my life in the context picks it up in Mark chapter 3 verses 31 Jesus is doing amazing ministry he's healed a leper crowds are coming. His parents, his mother and brothers are thinking. Keep possibly might be going insane. I mean they can't even get to him. So someone comes and says, by the way your mom and your family. Is there here the text says a little bit earlier that it was so overwhelming ministry. He didn't have time to eat. We pick it up.

Then Jesus mother and brothers arrived standing outside. They sent someone into call a crowd was sitting around him and I told him your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you. Notice what Jesus says who are my mother and my brothers. He ask then he looked at those stated in a circle around him. Here are my mother and my brothers who ever does God's will is my brother and my sister and my mother Jesus is his thing. What does it take to have family resemblance. What's it mean to be connected to him, and at the core of what he says those who do my will. Those are my true mothers and brothers and sisters and then it's interesting the next section. He's going to answer the question that you should be asking what how do you qualify to be in his family mean how do you have that, intimate relationship. If you have a Bible open it up and follow along and if you have a phone it's okay can I tell you something about sacred rhythms. Your phone is okay, but you will never grass the Scriptures reading the Bible with your phone.

It's not your phone is bad. The problem is there's a context you can't see the structure of what's happened.

15 verses back and 20 verses ahead in the structure on your phone so are you ready question.

How in the world. You become close and intimate with Jesus on another occasion.

Chapter 4 Jesus began to teach by like the crowd to gather there was so large that he got into a boat, he set out on the lake while the other people were along the shore. He taught them many parables in his teachings.

He said listen.

A farmer went out to sow his seed as he scattered the seed something along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky places were didn't have much soil it sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow when the sun came up the plants were scorched and they weathered as they had no root others fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants so they didn't bear any grain in still other seed fell on good soil, it came up crude produced a crop multiplying 3060, or even hundred times. Then Jesus said, Hugh has ears to hear. Letting here. Can you imagine that's his message. That's the sermon what will okay I mean he's done these miracles and you will all calm thousands of people were here and he tells a story about a farmer and seed and it falls on four different paths in three of the four past nothing happens in on one path. It does, Hugh has ears to hear is do you really get, you need to respond to what I just said what's really encouraging about this is his closest followers had no clue what is talking about when he was alone. The 12 and the others around him asking him about the parables. Then he said you might underline this or highlighted on your phone. The secret not a secret.

The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you the secret you would understand how the king and the world lives according to God's economy. That story that I just told is revealed to you, but those outside everything is in parables, so that ever seen. They may never perceive and never hearing the never understand. Otherwise they might turn to be forgiven. When Jesus said to them, don't you understand this parable.

How then will you understand any parable. Now get this. Ponder this, he told lots of parables.

I probably read this passage 10 years and didn't catch this. If you don't understand this parable you cannot understand any other parable Jesus. He said this is the secret of the kingdom of God. Well, then we better get the explanation.

Let's follow what was he really saying the farmer sows the seed of the word. Some people are like those along the path and where the seed of God's word assume they hear it and Satan comes and takes it away of the very word that was sown in others are like the seed sown on the rocky place, they hear the word. The truth, and once they receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they only last a short time when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others are like the seed sown among the thorns. They hear the word but the worries of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things come in and they choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others are like a seed sown on good soil and they cured the word and they accept it and look in the parallel passage says with a good and honest heart. They put it into practice, and it produces a crop, 30, 60 or even a hundredfold.

What was so you notice you have a blank sheet where you can take some notes if I was taking notes I would write this down. Your response to the word will determine your relationship with the Lord.

Your response to God's word will determine your relationship to the Lord.

Now this is true, salvific leg.

It's true about responding to receive God's forgiveness. But this is the secret of the kingdom. This is how the word is God's truth.

It's not just his truth about how you have a relationship with God. This is a truth about transformation every single day. Every time I open up the Scriptures. Every time you hear the Scriptures taught every time you hear a song that has passages in it.

The word of God is going forth in the word of God never fails to accomplish all God sends it to do, but the seed there's life in the seed 100% of the time seed in good soil produces everything God wants to produce.

The only variable in all of the stories is what the soil and the soil is your heart and my heart. If you have a hard heart. I don't want to hear about what God is saying to me, the enemies coming pulls it away or maybe you're zealous and all that sounds so exciting that you get all revved up about it and then you don't follow through or you here in you start to grow and pretty soon you're distracted by many things the worries of relationship. The words of child the worries of finances, the deceitfulness of riches the wow every time I get focused. Then my phone goes off. And I do check my Facebook and someone did this on Instagram and they slap me over here and all the bombarding of your mind. And then there are some who receive the word and they take it into your heart and you really Scott is speaking to me he's telling me that he's good in that I can trust you and I can please him and that means I can go to my supervisor and I can tell him or tell her that what happened the other day I thought was unfair and unjust.

I realize it may get me in trouble, but I have to defend an employee or someone on my team. I'm in a state when suddenly and lovingly bind and respond for the word speaks to me and says that what you're putting in your mind is drawing you away from me. I want you to stop putting that in your mind so I can draw you close to myself and you say open it so hard and then you take the secret out and you get it into the light like bacteria.

The light begins to evaporate that and then you get some friends around you and little by little by little, the seed of purity grows in your heart and your transformed in your free no notice.

The sower is Jesus himself. God's word. Every person who grows spiritually.

There is a centrality of God's word.

Dimmer, Moses at the very end he was giving his last sermon as they were to go into the promised land. He knew he wouldn't go and he watched a group who rebelled who wouldn't listen. Literally I ready for this. They took God's word and they threw it behind her back.

They forgot his word and he says at the end of Deuteronomy take to your heart all the words with which I'm warning you, you today for this is not an idle word. It is your life Jesus member when he was tempted but how did he defend himself.

It is written, it is written, it is written, can memorize passages and in spiritual battle.

He took this passage is the Rhema the word of God spoken the writer of Hebrews would say, for the word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword, and piercing the division of soul and spirit, of both joint and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart see its spiritual disciplines and rhythms are not you know I read the chapter today or I read my verse on you version or II read three chapters that God loves me even more. It's it's a it's a living powerful word that has to be received in a heart in order to apply it.

Jeremiah would say my words were found, and I ate them and noticed the tense of the verb, and they became for me. They became for me, that words were found, and they became for me a joy and the delight of my heart everywhere in Scripture you find this sacredness of the word of God to those Jews who had believed in him.

Jesus said if you abide in my word, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. The last thing Jesus prayed on his very last night that father sanctify them, set them apart. It's a it's a difficult world they have their flesh the enemy in the world system set them apart by your truth.

Your word is truth. So all I want to know as we start, I don't know your relationship to God's word. But what I can tell you is your relationship with God's word will determine your relationship with the Lord, the spirit of God can live in your life, but it the word is the fuel in the fuel gets transmitted by a trusting moment of faith. The response and obedience and as you take the step you get power to live the life is called back if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips message today is called the practice of sacred rhythm. If the burdens of life or pressing it and you need to make some changes. Sacred rhythms will help you do that in sacred rhythms.

You learn how to develop a few of the key spiritual practices that unlock a deeper, more satisfying relationship with God to order your copy of sacred rhythms or to send a set to a friend. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org you'll find that the CDs are discounted and the MP3s are absolutely free. Or if you prefer to order over the phone. Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will trip the series is a bit out of the norm for us. You were offered an opportunity to teach a location that has a lot of meaning for you and you really enjoyed getting the chance to come to pass on some of the most significant things you've learned over the years. Tell us a little bit about what happened and what's ahead of us.

Sure, Dave. I do have to tell you that this was a very special opportunity.

My son Ryan is a pastor here in the Silicon Valley and it literally started as a little group in a college ministry and then it just kind of mushroomed, and he said dad, you know, I want you to come and I'm going to do the series on sacred rhythms and I just want you to come and share with them the rhythms of your life.

You know just the things you've done for years and God's word and prayer, and just what have you done over the years that allowed Christ to really be manifest in your life.

I want you to share that with the church because we don't have many people your age for our church which I took that as a left-handed compliment, but I had a blast doing this and I just had such a sense that people wanted to grow and wanted to lean in and had amazing conversations and so what I want you to know that you know in a world of distractions in world being bombarded by just noise and stuff the news there is a way that we can become more and more like Christ. That those of us that long to be more patient, more kind, more generous, breaking some habits sacred rhythms we all have rhythms, but were to talk about the sacred rhythms that Jesus taught his followers then and now, that allow room for God in our heart in their lives that make a real difference and I think you gonna love this series, I hope you'll stay with us.

Thanks, Chip will room for some great teaching over the next several days and let me say that as always, while the series is all near the CDs are discounted and the MP3s are absolutely free will.

Now here's Chip with a couple of final thoughts as we closed today's program and really just start the series.

There's a passage that I shared that is been near and dear to me from Jeremiah 1516. Your words were found, and I ate them in your words became for me the joy and the delight of my heart. I love that little phrase your word became for me. I have to tell you reading the Bible on a regular basis did not come naturally to me had a hard time getting up I had difficult time disciplining myself had a hard time concentrating, but here's what I want to tell you this is why this series is so important. A couple images come to my mind the first image is one that builds up in the other image is one that takes something away in the first image is this.

As I over time.

Okay, it's taken time and encouragement and accountability as I have gotten in God's word.

As I shared with the young people of this church over and over and over it's been like a muscle.

It's been so much like going to the gym where it firsters sore at first you don't like it at first you don't want to go back and then you see some progress and then you get some hope and then pretty soon it goes from duty to I can do it to a delight. And as you do that it's not just the practice but what happens is, God begins to speak. Yes a lot of the Bible.

I didn't understand. Believe it or not there's a lot of it. I still don't understand that as I go into a rhythm of getting into God's word. I will tell you it's radically change my life.

The second image of is like an ocean current. You know how it comes in wave after wave after wave. And you know the reason there's sand as those used to be rocks and what happens is the power of those waves they break things down and left to myself. My heart gets hard on bombarded by the world and the word of God.

It cleanses me and it reveals to me the hardness of my hard and it shows me things that I don't want to be a part of me, but left myself those things will grow and develop and harden.

So I want you to know is that were going to talk about sacred rhythms in the first and foremost is your relationship with the word of God and Ruth got some great ways to help you dig in.

That will be sharing during the series. But here's what I want you to know this series is an opportunity for you to evaluate the rhythms of your life and realign them around the rhythms that Jesus gave us so that you can become the kind of person you long to become.

Just before we close. I want to say thanks to those of you who are making a monthly donation to the ministry of Living on the Edge your regular contributions free us to plan and make commitments. We couldn't otherwise do so. You're making a huge difference helping other Christians live like Christians if you're enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but are good giving. Would you prayerfully consider joining the team.

You can set up a recurring donation by visiting our website LivingontheEdge.org or by giving us a call at 1-888-333-6003. Thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do well. Until next time, this is Dave really say thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge