Posted on by John

Simplicity – 25-Apr-2021

Simplicity

  • St. Francis of Assisi – “The antidote for confusion and paralysis is always a return to SIMPLICITY”
  • Dark Ages >>> Age of Enlightenment / Age of Science and Reason / Modern Age
  • Science – the analysis of “small” parts became more important than a synthesis of the “whole.”
  • 1950 (approx.) – Atom Bomb – Annihilation of everything became possible hope waned – doubt established  — Post-Modern Mind
  • Relativism – nothing is truly knowable b/c everything is an intellectual or social construct that will soon change.  No patterns, cycles, or absolutes
  • Created beings that were both god-like (“I Know”) and utterly cynical (“I have to create my own truth because none really exists”)
  • Results: Increased suicide and clinical depression rates leaving most languishing
  • Languish – loss or lack of vitality. Grow feeble and weak – fail to progress.
  • Feels like stagnation and emptiness.  Looking at life as through a foggy windshield
  • The Church has not been exempted from this worldview
  • Thomas Aquinas – “People chose things that seem good to them.”
  • European and North American church – effort to follow Jesus through intellectualism
  • Follow by Knowing Him – His Heart and “Gut” – Attitudes and values that shape His choices.
  • Instead of trying to “get inside” the scriptures – Let the scriptures “get inside us” and gradually shape OUR attitudes and values to be like His
  • “The Way” is not a set of intellectually formed principles and formulas: “The Way” is a PERSON.
  • “Walking in Truth” is to follow that Person.
  • John 14:7-11 – “To know Me is to \know the Father.”
  • We must know “The Lord of the Book” and not just the “Book of the Lord”
  • Matthew 11:29 – ”Learn of Me…” (TPT) “Join your life to mine, there you will find rest.”
  • Rest – (Hebrew) Shalom – Peace, comfort, rest, balance, completeness
  • Post-Modern thinking in the Church – has resulted in rivalry, distrust, conflict, separation
  • Set aside time to “Playback” what actually happened during your day 
  • reflect how you felt and how you reacted.
  • Ask Jesus to show you your “hot spots” of the day and where He was during them.
  • Ask how HE felt about them.
  • Ask Him to share His Heart and approach to them with you
  • Take time to enter the shalom He offers.