23: Walk Slowly

And so this morning I want to jump into a mess as a nemesis title. Today's cold walk slowly. This is something that's been on my heart for quite a while now, and I've been really walking through this message in my heart and my mind for quite some time and just praying about the right opportunity to share it and just felt like now was the time to share a little bit of this message.

Some of it might be because as I'm getting a little older. I'm realizing how much time is of value and how much we spent time of the people how valuable that is when we spend time with people. Time is one of the greatest commodities that we have that again.

I think it's partially getting to know God more.

As I'm journeying in my own faith so that's I'm getting older and fact, I was reminded that about a month ago here at the Millbrook campus. One of our pastors was walking around with two people to shown on the campus in their meeting and wanted to see the building and I can walk to my office as I can walk you out of my office. They stop me and our pastors in a this is our lead pastor in both these two guests looked at me and said that God is too young.

He's too young to lead a church like this without missing a beat the pastor a look at them as owner know he's he's pushing 50 and at first I was offended by that statements or realize that that's at site that's actually true, actually pushing 50 am now in the category of life where I'm actually pushing 50 years old and I remember years ago, thinking that was so long and far away. But here I am pushing 50 as one of our dear pastors said accurately and I think that the older that I'm getting the longer them in ministry.

I realize how much time spent with people is of so much value we live in a culture regular culture in a world where we can have everything at any time. We can jump online and connects to anybody around the world at any given moment in just a few seconds. I can order things online and literally have it delivered to my house today if I wanted. If not today then within two days. We are living in such a an now me centered culture and everything is so fast-paced, we're just running at such a fast pace and were seeing this translated honestly post covert in church and in church culture. What I mean by that is is churches across the country and literally even around the world in many places have experienced a decline in in person church attendance post covert now for Crossroads.

We have experienced a decline in in person post covert, but we seen an increase in overall connection because of our online campus so it's one of those where things were in person is less of the overall reach is greater and what that really is saying, though, is that people have opted that Sunday morning, which historically has been time for church is now time for other things and code a lot to do that.

Things were closing and people didn't want to come out to be around large groups as we get all that, but it's just an example of how of how time and our pace of life is now impacted us coming to church and really my concern for this.

The notes I can just speak from my heart about the concern of this is maybe not so much of my generation summer, Jen X or not. So much of my generation. But what about my kids generation and their kids generation.

Another was one of my teaching and what are we showing our children really showing the millennial solution on the agenda's ears were shown the next generations of the value of being in community with God's people in church there is been often said of a non-generation to generation called the nuns of the nons and this is the generation that is raised by non-Christians and now were not there yet. In America, but I would venture to say that if were not careful in the next generation or two.

This will actually be our country to where the degree that we lead our families in a Christian lifestyle. Historically, that we would know as coming to church and being in community and doing devotions together, praying together in the Bible together that is slowly start to be replaced, mainly due to time and effort and energy with other things and so we might be increasing our time with our families, but were decreasing the value of church the ecclesia that the church, the body of Christ. And so I say that in conjunction with this message called walk slowly because I think that we have the slowdown a little bit. I think that many of us would do very well. After slowing down just a little bit. Think about your lifestyle thing about all of our lifestyle we would go to work with the school with sports with hobbies with careers and then at the weekend. We got yardwork in house projects and illicitly I can write back from Mexico to a foster baby to yardwork to working on cars for two days preparing all this stuff to get ready to go again as it is.

It is so busy and that time that we spend with each other. The time spent with God's people and with God really does matter, and I think that we need to slow down a little bit and what I think is going to happen and Artie see happening is that the pace of life that we have for ourselves were also pushing spiritually on correlation with God as well so were always in a rush were always in a hurry church for many people.

As an afterthought or just something we do if we don't have something better to do and so then we treat God similar that we don't really spend the time walking with God like we should, unless we really need them of us were in trouble and then we can say the same thing about living in community with other people and then even with ourselves and so this morning on break this down in three ways. I will break it down of what is. It looks walk slowly with God.

What is looks walk slowly with other people and what is it look like to walk slowly with ourselves and this is not to be the first time that you hear this or hear this kind of message. I think that our church and our community, not just Crossroads but the deep church we need to understand something about the pace of God. One of the things that I love most about Jesus is that he was never in a hurry. You rarely see Jesus rushing. The only time I can point you in the New Testament Gospels were Jesus is in a hurry is when he is trying to get the disciples into the boat to get to the other side and he says, hurry up into the boat and go but other than that when Jesus is around people and walking through crowds. You don't ever see him just rushing from point a to point B. You see him walking and stopping in the middle of the crowd and that might seem trivial to you or might not seem like a big deal but to me personally to personally for me that is such a massive massive deal because now I the Jesus stop in the Gospels for anybody in the crowd that was calling to him but he stopped for me and he stop for you and I think that we have to remember that Jesus, the creator of the universe that can do anything and be anywhere and and do anything he wants to do chose to stop for me and for you and for anybody who's called and reached out to and so with that wants you to turn your Bibles to Luke chapter 8 verse 40 to 56 chapter 8. The reason why I got drawn to this passage is this is Jesus and he's walking and the crowd is already waiting forms is a massive crowd waiting for Jesus and Jesus, walking and navigating through the crowd and he has to dynamic interactions. One is was; Gerace who is a ruler of a synagogue and then there is a unnamed woman who has an issue of bleeding that she's had for 12 years and so you got Gerace a ruler synagogue.

You have a woman with this you're bleeding. Who in that culture would be considered unclean and an outcast is not even named Andy got these two polar opposite of the social economic standards. Got Jesus right in the middle walking through a crowded. I don't want to hear the story unfold in verse 40 says now when Jesus returned the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for there came a man named Gerace who was a ruler of the synagogue and falling at Jesus feet.

He implored him to come to his house for he had an only daughter 12 years of age and she was dying as Jesus went the people press around them. There for a moment. Gerace ruler synagogue only daughter 12 years old, knowing that Jesus here in the stories here in the miracles comes running falls perform implored Jesus to come to his house to heal his daughter and Jesus goes, here's where the story is really interesting as Jesus. When the crowds pressing around him, and there is a woman who had a discharge of blood for 12 years, and though she spent all of her living on physicians. She could not be healed by anyone. Aren't you Greg glad that doctors and people don't have the final say.

But Jesus has the final say.

She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment.

And immediately her discharge of blood ceased and Jesus said who was it that touched me when all the night at Peterson master. The crowds around you and a pressing on you.

But Jesus said someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out for me and when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, falling to form declaring the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had and immediately healed in Jesus the door daughter, your faith has made you well go in peace. So this is not as amazing as the Scripture.

Gerace comes my daughters dying Jesus please come to my house is okay, let's go to your house starts walking fewer pressing around the bobbins on this woman cures it is Jesus comes up our hands and knees, grabs a friend of his garment leaves in her heart that if she just touch them.

She's healed to touch them. She's healed Jesus. Caesar notices her says that she's been healed to go in peace and you can imagine like it. It's amazing miracle in the crowd is all around, all around good day. Jesus going to heal a 12-year-old girl just to seal. This will know this, you will bleeding.

However, look at verse 49 while he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher anymore. But Jesus, on hearing this answered him, do not fear only believe she will be made well and when he came to the house he allowed no one enter with them except Peter and John and James and the father and mother of the child all weeping in our morning, but he said don't weep. She's not that she's just sleeping and they laughed at her key. Imagine that they've invited Jesus to come heal the daughter she died. In the meantime, Jesus still goes to the house in subsistence is not that she can sleep in and they kind of just laugh at the did they laughed edgy as I wonder when I read that passage, I wonder how often we maybe laugh at the notion that Jesus can do a miracle in our life. I wonder how often we we not maybe not laugh out loud but weak in our heart we we say it's too late like your dear to elated that the dreams already gone.

It's too late.

The marriage is already over. It's too late. The doctor already gave us the bad report it's too late I already lost my job is to lay my kids are are already out of the house and running away. I wonder how often we treat Jesus similarly to the people of this house were Jesus comes to do a miracle, and we say you're just you're too late. You missed it, the dream is dead.

The opportunities gone. It's not to come back. I'm too far gone they laughed at, but taking her by the hand he said child arise in her spirit returned as she got up at once and he directed that something should be given to her to eat and her parents were amazed. I love this passage of Scripture so much to me.

This passage Scripture shows the Jesus that I serve Jesus and I serve as no problem going to the middle of the crowd and stopping for anybody that reaches out to whether that's a ruler semi-higher than society, or that some woman who is on her hands and knees in the dirt is reaching through the crowd to touch Jesus one time and he stops for all of us. But even after he stops.

I wonder how often we just look and say how to know.

I don't know God or if you can do what I need you to do this is where walking slowly really matters.

The first thing on talk about here for the next few minutes is to walk slowly with God was a look like in our life to model what Jesus does, I think, again, I think we would do very well to model the pace of Jesus. The model what Jesus is showing us here in this passage that Jesus wasn't in a rush. He deftly had a place he was going from some place to another place he was. He was on on a track, but he stopped and he was a paying attention to the Holy Spirit was leaving slow spirit leads Gerace to him and his daughter) let this woman to him and he stopped and spent time with them walk slowly with God again was talk about our pace. I wonder how often our pace. We are running in random different directions than the direction that God wants us to go or running so far ahead of the pace of God that were missing the opportunities that God has for us right now.

Today or were running so far behind that that we can't even imagine getting to where God wants us to get to that Isaiah chapter 30 verse 21. The verse that says in your ears will hear a word behind you saying this is the way walking when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. I believe that that's what God is doing in our life today. I believe that God never stopped speaking to us. This is the matter whether or not were listening to them or were here. Humans, when God says this is the way to walk in it to the right or to the last straight go regular.

Whatever way it's going to seduce his voice from behind us saying this is the way walk. In other words woman walked closely with God or walk in stride for stride with what God is doing in our life or paying attention to the voice of God or walking with God at a pace that we can hear him. He then directs our paths. Leonard Ravenhill has a great quote where he says smart man walked on the moon during then walks on the ocean floor.

But wise men walk with God. Still very true resident. The wisest of people are the ones who walk with God only give you a few ways to walk slowly God, these are a few things that will help you clearly navigate what is a little it's actually walk with God. In Psalm 63 verse 1 to 4. The great explanation says you are my God I worship you in my heart I long for you as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert I've seen your power and your glory in the place of worship.

Your love means more it's more than life to me and I will praise you as long as I live I will pray to you the psalmist as his writing here is giving us an outline of what it looks like to walk with God. The first thing in walk slowly with God it means to walk with God in worship as we worship God. It sets our pace when I am about you but I can't just quickly worship God. There's something about worship that causes us to slow down and just to acknowledge who God is, is this worshipful attitude is this heart of worship that comes before God and it's not something that you can just go to God Halo worship God you're awesome. I'm not here I'm on to something else. None of their there's a there's a timing of this that cause this is to stop in a slowdown member the psalmist as I worship you in my heart I long for you as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert. Do we have that longing in our worship that my heart longs for God just as much is about was out in the desert dying of thirst in one of the brook of water to come by and to walk by like that's the kind of worship that cause me just the rest in his presence. Walking with God is an devotion and it's in our prayer life again having a constant and consistent devotional and accounts of consistent prayer life really matters to know what the word of God says to spend time with God to meditate on. I wonder how many of us have worked into our schedule just times of silence before God. If the time were not in a hurry time were not rushed a time were not just looking at her watch.

To get to the next thing I wonder how much better off we would be if we could build in time with God. That is just times of silence times are just meditation time to just listen to what God is telling us again this is not something that happens quickly is the rhythm of our life. And if were so busy doing everything from going to work the school to the club to playing sports to whatever were doing right.

All these things are happening our life word, we find the time. Just a slowdown and just listen.

The other way that we walk with God is in love again.

The psalmist says that that love is the key to this which is your love God, your love means more to me than life. I praise you for that. As long as I live I will praise you God's love in our life should be the most important thing. And yet I wonder again how often does God get the least amount of our time in a day or time in a week that we feel like were making a sacrifice just to spend a few minutes with God to God's ears. More than that the pace of life to walk with the second area want talk about is what is alluded to walk slowly with other people talk slowly with people in Matthew chapter 25 verse 44 to 45. This is then they also will answer same Lord when the week. See you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked, or sick or in person in prison, and did not minister to you, then he will answer same.

Truly I say to you as you did not do it's in the least of these, you did not do it to me so this is Jesus confronting his disciples that he makes this profound statement Sandy when I was hungry. You didn't see me while thirsty to give anything to drink. Rouse naked and clothe you to visit me in prison. Disciples are Sam laying on time obvious.

We never saw any of that happens you and you said you're right, but you see it happen with all these other people and how you treat these other people is the same way that reflects how you treat me. Augustine says that this ways is what does love look like love has the hands to help others.

It has the fee to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and wants. It has the ears to hear the size and sorrows of men. This is what love looks like. Talk slowly with people means that you have to care for people you've heard that a lot this month with Pastor Ken preaching and at the end of the month with pastor Doug preaching you hear a lot how if we don't love people were not going to go to it. We don't love people who don't love our community.

Why would we even go spend time with them. What would happen again if we learn how to walk with others in community will take a fit if we had community that we lived and and spend time with and walk slowly with other people. Jesus in the crowd of people walk slowly. The reason why Jesus walking slowly was because he knew that the Holy Spirit was going to lead them to somebody somewhere at some time. If Jesus was too busy to get from point A to point B you do is walk right past all the people reread the Gospels Matthew Mark Luke John read the Gospels and see how many times Jesus either went out of his way or on his path. Stopped for somebody whether they were blind beggars where they were crippled where there were attacks cooked in a tree.

A woman at the well, people walking demonic people, people who are sickening everywhere across the board. Even the Pharisees that Jesus would stop constantly walking slowly with people in order to reach them and administer them every single day of your life you're walking past people who need what you have and the Holy Spirit will lead us to the broken mess of humanity if we will just learn to slow down, listen to God and walk slowly part of it is walking with others in community know what I mean by that. Well community will first of all, starting in church in small groups and community life of being around other believers, men of crosses fellowship this fall. We have a men's ministry breakfast once a month starting in September to go until May and that is a great opportunity for you and meet Susie area for you and I to walk with people in community; challenged all the men of the church join me on the Saturdays starting September because it's a way for us to build community.

I've already seen in our summer program, you see many things for women's ministry or student ministry. Our kids as a young adults college everywhere across the board.

All these different demographics have opportunities for everybody to build community don't do life alone will walk in community with people will start the walk with others in mission or outreach, and what I mean by that is his college uses model dues model was was walking through the streets and allow the Holy Spirit to lead people. So what if we lived our life with the mentality of a mission or outreach mentality that wherever I am there I am wherever I am, that God in his Holy Spirit can lead me and use me to reach people. Again, it's about pace, slowing down long enough to sit down and have a meal somebody and just talk about Jesus was somebody to talk about discipleship and the walk was somebody in that this is how we walk slowly with other people in the product I believe is saying. The result will be the same as what Jesus saw pure Scripture that when Jesus walked slowly.

Miracles happen.

People got saved amazing things.

The dead were risen, this other things that happen the hope that can be given the people walk slowly. The third involving want talk about this morning as the walk slowly with yourself. This one might be one of most important ones for you today to learn how to pace your own rhythm of your own life to walk slowly for Libyans 16 as I'm sure this, that he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus is called you he's equipping you is a purpose for your life and Jesus who started the good thing in your life will see it to completion so but sometimes we have to walk with ourselves in such a way that we are not outpacing even our own agenda.

Even our own business were slowing down enough.

Watchman Nee said each stage of the believers walk possesses particular hazards. A new life within us wages war against all which opposes its growth during the physical stage of his war against sins and the soulless phase. It is a battle against the natural life and lastly on the spiritual level. It is an onslaught against the supernatural enemy of all that to say that every phase of your life wherever you are right now in your journey with Jesus. Every phase has its hazards.

A phase of life were dying to our fleshly sin, the phase of our life when our soul is being is being challenged and growing all the way to our spiritual life to her, there's a raging war against an enemy. Every phase of our life has hazards and for us to slow down and surf roads where God is calling us to grow his a few thoughts under walk slowly with yourself. The first thing is you gotta walk with yourself in grace and forgiveness. Just like you give grace and forgiveness other people. Some of you this morning need to give yourself a little grace and a little forgiveness summing this morning are coming out of pride. The hardest to the three years of your life and to give yourself not an excuse but to give yourself some grace and some forgiveness to forgive you your self in the show your own self grace. The sometimes where our own worst critics and were hardest on ourselves and anybody else but if we are going to walk slowly with ourselves that we have to extend ourselves. That same race and at same forgiveness we have to walk with ourselves in discipleship.

One of the biggest things that I think is so missed and overlooked is discipleship discipleship of becoming more like Jesus to know his teaching and his ways to become more and more like him is not fast. It takes time made one of the greatest things you can do is the slowdown and just walk with yourself slowly in the discipleship manner is this understanding Jesus more. Just knowing his teachings getting into this this Bible, this word of God to put yourself in a position of of spiritual growth. Your life is not fast. The word that we often uses this word of sanctification, which is a lifelong process of becoming more more like Jesus. And I believe that that's true, it is a lifelong process taken from somebody pushing 50).

It takes a long time to grow in Christ doesn't mean that that your ignorance and doesn't mean that you don't understand things, but every time I read the Scripture. I am learning something new every time I sent was somebody in discipleship. I'm learning something new. It takes time to do that.

The last thing about walking slowly with yourself is that walking slowly with yourself will lead to victory in the areas of your life walking slowly with yourself, allowing God to move in your life will allow you to live victorious. First Corinthians 1557 has been a theme verse for archer since January is but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, the way that you and I get victory in Jesus is when we walk slowly with God. We walked slowly with other people walk slowly with ourselves.

Understand that the pace of our life to walk with God is such a powerful thing to walk with God in order to know him to walk with God in worship and in love to walk slowly with people in order to see God do miracles emotional outreaches in life and community together to walk slowly with ourselves, to give ourselves grace and to give ourselves mercy to give herself forgiveness to grow in discipleship to live a victorious life church. My prayer for us as we are in the middle of summer right now and I close with this is that you would find a rhythm of your life right now in the middle summer that would allow you to walk slowly with God cannot outrun them to not run a different direction that you will find a rhythm of life to walk slowly with people in your life.

There's people in your life that needs you right they need what you have is people at your company in your neighborhood in their own families in your schools that need some like you to model Jesus and just relax and walk slowly listening to the Holy Spirit to lead them and direct them to the hurting people in our life. My prayer that you will find opportunity to walk slowly with yourself to just breathe, to breathe then separate out to find time to meditate on God's word to find time for God to speak to you to find time to actually study his word to know his word. The find time to live a victorious life that is calling us to live with Ella close my part of the service with just reciting the blessing over you and we are July 17 and I'll be back in the public preaching in the first Sunday of August. Larry, a message for us that are working on for a while on that that's going to be ugly real challenging but also an encouragement to you as we finish out the summer and we go back in the fall, but if you were just where you're seated right now.

Would you just close your eyes.

Whether your Millbrook. I would force online where you're watching it would just put your hands out. I just received this from me this morning.

May Lord bless you and keep you paler make his face to shine upon you will be gracious to you by the Lord lift up his comments upon you and give you peace and