Spiritual Disciplines for Regular Guys: Solitude and Fellowship

18 Jan Spiritual Disciplines for Regular Guys: Solitude and Fellowship

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Spiritual Disciplines 

Spiritual Disciplines for Regular Guys: Solitude and Fellowship 

• Grace and I – early marriage & ministry disagreement
• Introverts vs Extroverts
• NOT if you love people, or are good with people, but what energizes/drains
• Introverts – strong solitude, weak fellowship
• Extroverts – weak solitude, strong fellowship

=ME – old Jeep in the woods snowmobile path, today in the mountains

Solitude (Pouring In)

Matthew 14:23 “after he [Jesus] had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”

Mark 6:31 “he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”

Luke 4:42 “when it was day, he [Jesus] departed and went into a desolate place.”

Luke 5:16 “he [Jesus] would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

-Solitude = fasting from people/crowds

-Everyone needs it – caregivers, some jobs require more

Solitude and other Spiritual Disciplines:

Worship

Prayer

Study

Journaling

Sabbath

= Difference between isolation & solitude

Fellowship (Pouring Out)

Genesis 2:18 “It is not good that the man should be alone…”

Mark 12:33 “…love your neighbor as yourself…”

John 13:34-35 “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love

1 John 1:7 if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

• Most of the NT was written to local churches not individuals
• Most of the NT cannot be obeyed alone

Trinity = relational

Jesus’ Fellowship

• God the Father and the Holy Spirit
• John the Beloved (John 13:23)
• Peter, James, John (Mount Transfiguration Mark 9:2-3; Jairus daughter Luke 8:49-56; Gethsemane Matthew 26:36-38)
• Mary, Martha, Lazarus (John 11)
• The 12 (Luke 6:12-16)
• The 72 (Luke 10:1,17)
• The 120 (Acts 1:15)
• Multitudes in large and very large crowds

Discussion and Prayer

• Are you better at solitude or fellowship?

• What difference has being at the table with the men made for you?
  How can we pray for you?