WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.259 Well, again, I want to say welcome to you. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:06.520 My name's Kevin, one of the pastors here, 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:09.400 and I'm so glad that we're able to worship together, 00:00:09.580 --> 00:00:12.320 both for those of you who are tuning in at home 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:14.900 and for those of you who are here in person. 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:17.719 It is a joy and a real privilege 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:19.719 to be able to preach this morning to you. 00:00:20.460 --> 00:00:21.879 And I wanna begin this morning 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:24.140 with a story from my teenage years. 00:00:24.940 --> 00:00:27.179 Back in high school, I became a Christian 00:00:27.179 --> 00:00:29.060 through a ministry called Young Life. 00:00:29.059 --> 00:00:30.579 It's a great organization. 00:00:31.479 --> 00:00:35.539 And their mission is to share the gospel with kids 00:00:35.539 --> 00:00:38.339 who are unchurched, kids like myself, 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:40.839 who would never have stepped foot inside a church 00:00:40.839 --> 00:00:43.500 except for maybe at Christmas or a funeral. 00:00:44.420 --> 00:00:46.280 I didn't grow up going to youth group, 00:00:46.379 --> 00:00:48.899 but Young Life groups were what I imagined 00:00:48.899 --> 00:00:50.259 to be a bit like a youth group, 00:00:50.299 --> 00:00:53.099 except they're customized for rowdy, secular kids. 00:00:53.939 --> 00:00:57.599 We would play some sort of game during our gatherings, 00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:59.679 and we would sing a bunch of songs, 00:00:59.760 --> 00:01:00.579 kind of like church. 00:01:01.100 --> 00:01:03.679 And then a cool college student would stand up 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:05.960 and give a talk about Jesus. 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:07.920 When we would sing songs, 00:01:07.980 --> 00:01:11.620 we would normally sing contemporary, upbeat pop songs. 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:13.099 But every now and again, 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:15.640 every four to six weeks or so, 00:01:16.219 --> 00:01:18.319 we would sing this really sad song. 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:20.980 And it's a song that has always haunted me, 00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:22.879 and I wanna read some of the lyrics for us. 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:26.579 It's Cats in the Cradle by Henry Chapin, or Chapin. 00:01:27.259 --> 00:01:29.420 And the song tells the story of a dad 00:01:29.420 --> 00:01:31.340 who means really well, 00:01:31.979 --> 00:01:34.479 but he's just too busy to actually spend time 00:01:34.479 --> 00:01:35.239 with his son. 00:01:35.780 --> 00:01:37.959 And then his whole life passes him by, 00:01:38.039 --> 00:01:39.899 and he misses out on his son's life. 00:01:40.179 --> 00:01:41.899 We're gonna look at how the song begins 00:01:41.899 --> 00:01:43.939 and how the song ends. 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:45.699 So this is the first verse. 00:01:45.819 --> 00:01:47.780 My child arrived just the other day. 00:01:48.340 --> 00:01:50.479 He came to the world in the usual way. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:52.840 But there were planes to catch and bills to pay. 00:01:53.579 --> 00:01:55.560 He learned to walk while I was away. 00:01:56.439 --> 00:01:58.219 And he was talking before I knew it, 00:01:58.260 --> 00:01:59.219 and as he grew, he said, 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:00.820 I'm gonna be like you, Dad. 00:02:01.320 --> 00:02:03.120 You know I'm gonna be like you. 00:02:03.859 --> 00:02:04.680 And then the chorus. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:07.100 The cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, 00:02:07.219 --> 00:02:09.159 little boy blue and the man in the moon. 00:02:09.699 --> 00:02:10.719 When are you coming home, Dad? 00:02:11.159 --> 00:02:11.980 I don't know when. 00:02:12.580 --> 00:02:13.780 But we'll get together then. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:15.920 You know we'll have a good time then. 00:02:16.379 --> 00:02:19.319 The next two verses, same pattern. 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:21.879 The second verse is his son is 10 years old, 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:23.259 wants to play ball with his dad. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:24.459 His dad's too busy. 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:27.359 The third verse, things switch a little bit. 00:02:27.819 --> 00:02:29.579 The dad wants to spend some time with his son, 00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:30.539 but his kid's in college 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:32.519 and just wants to drive his dad's car. 00:02:33.299 --> 00:02:35.099 Too busy, don't have time. 00:02:35.579 --> 00:02:37.219 This is the final verse of the song. 00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:39.219 I've long since retired. 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:40.219 This is the dad speaking. 00:02:40.539 --> 00:02:41.759 My son's moved away. 00:02:42.379 --> 00:02:44.039 I called him up just the other day. 00:02:44.780 --> 00:02:46.780 I said, I'd like to see you if you don't mind. 00:02:46.780 --> 00:02:49.939 He said, I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time. 00:02:50.419 --> 00:02:51.979 You see, my new job's a hassle 00:02:51.979 --> 00:02:53.240 and the kids have the flu. 00:02:53.879 --> 00:02:55.199 Sure nice talking to you, Dad. 00:02:55.479 --> 00:02:57.020 It's been sure nice talking to you. 00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:59.699 And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me, 00:03:00.340 --> 00:03:01.780 he'd grown up just like me. 00:03:01.860 --> 00:03:04.219 My boy was just like me. 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:06.060 And the final chorus, 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:08.180 and the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, 00:03:08.860 --> 00:03:10.879 little boy blue and the man in the moon. 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:12.680 When are you coming home, son? 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:13.960 I don't know when. 00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:16.020 But we'll get together then, Dad. 00:03:16.219 --> 00:03:18.159 We're gonna have a good time then. 00:03:18.920 --> 00:03:20.140 I have to say this song hits me 00:03:20.140 --> 00:03:21.500 quite a bit differently 20 years 00:03:21.500 --> 00:03:22.420 now that I have kids 00:03:22.420 --> 00:03:24.819 from when I was a 16-year-old boy. 00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:29.659 You know, this song is a great discipleship case study 00:03:29.659 --> 00:03:31.700 in many ways on the power of imitation. 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:34.120 The son becomes just like his father. 00:03:34.219 --> 00:03:35.740 But what I wanna highlight this morning 00:03:35.740 --> 00:03:39.000 is what this song teaches us about time. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:42.259 It's a morality tale about time. 00:03:42.740 --> 00:03:43.460 And it's a warning. 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:45.840 Time is precious. 00:03:46.659 --> 00:03:48.860 Time is our most valuable resource. 00:03:49.860 --> 00:03:52.139 Our life is how we spend our time. 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:53.960 Don't waste it. 00:03:55.180 --> 00:03:57.400 As we continue our series this morning 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.860 on discipleship and emotionally healthy spirituality, 00:04:00.860 --> 00:04:02.800 we're going to be focusing on time. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:04.900 And we're gonna look at three things. 00:04:04.900 --> 00:04:07.020 We're gonna look at a framework 00:04:07.020 --> 00:04:08.240 for how to think about time. 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:10.700 We're gonna look at the greatest threat 00:04:10.700 --> 00:04:12.319 to our time today. 00:04:12.620 --> 00:04:14.980 And then I wanna introduce or reintroduce us 00:04:14.980 --> 00:04:16.379 to a few practices 00:04:16.379 --> 00:04:18.699 to make the best use of our time. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:20.240 So let's pray together. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:23.040 Heavenly Father, 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:23.140 Father, 00:04:23.400 --> 00:04:27.060 we come before you 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:28.760 even as we stood up 00:04:28.760 --> 00:04:30.760 to hear your holy word. 00:04:30.840 --> 00:04:31.780 Lord, I pray that you would help us 00:04:31.780 --> 00:04:33.980 to understand your word, 00:04:34.340 --> 00:04:36.060 to think about what that means 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:37.780 to stand under your word, 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:39.439 that we would submit to it, 00:04:39.500 --> 00:04:40.520 that it would transform us, 00:04:40.580 --> 00:04:41.560 that it would change us. 00:04:42.580 --> 00:04:45.460 Lord, your word says in Psalm 91, 00:04:45.640 --> 00:04:47.280 teach us to number our days 00:04:47.280 --> 00:04:48.800 that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 00:04:48.939 --> 00:04:50.560 And that's our prayer this morning. 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:53.439 I pray these things in Christ's holy name. 00:04:54.100 --> 00:04:54.399 Amen. 00:04:55.740 --> 00:04:57.160 So first, with our passage, 00:04:57.240 --> 00:04:58.139 we're gonna look at 00:04:58.139 --> 00:05:00.199 the Apostle Paul's framework 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:01.600 for how to think about time. 00:05:02.220 --> 00:05:04.060 In the first half of the letter 00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:05.379 to the church in Ephesus, 00:05:05.620 --> 00:05:08.060 Paul unpacks the glory of the gospel. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:09.740 And it can be summarized 00:05:09.740 --> 00:05:12.579 in Ephesians 2, verses 12 and 13. 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:13.360 Paul writes this. 00:05:13.840 --> 00:05:15.600 Remember that you were at that time 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:17.180 before you were a Christian. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:17.959 You were at that time 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:19.220 separated from Christ, 00:05:19.220 --> 00:05:22.000 alienated from the commonwealth of Israel 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:24.180 and strangers to the covenants of promise, 00:05:24.740 --> 00:05:25.800 having no hope 00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:28.120 and without God in the world. 00:05:28.760 --> 00:05:30.840 But now, in Christ Jesus, 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.940 you who were once far off 00:05:32.940 --> 00:05:34.480 have been brought near 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:36.440 by the blood of Christ. 00:05:36.860 --> 00:05:38.240 This is the heart of the gospel 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:40.680 that Jesus died to save sinners. 00:05:41.620 --> 00:05:42.940 That's what Paul unpacks 00:05:42.940 --> 00:05:45.040 in Ephesians chapter 1 through chapter 3. 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:46.800 And in the second half, 00:05:47.020 --> 00:05:48.600 chapters 4 through 6, 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:50.379 Paul unpacks how the gospel 00:05:50.379 --> 00:05:51.260 is to be worked 00:05:51.260 --> 00:05:53.240 into every corner of our lives, 00:05:53.280 --> 00:05:55.500 like kneading yeast into dough. 00:05:56.379 --> 00:05:57.280 Throughout the Bible, 00:05:57.980 --> 00:05:59.180 the language of walking 00:05:59.180 --> 00:06:00.620 is a common metaphor 00:06:00.620 --> 00:06:03.160 for describing our relationship, 00:06:03.379 --> 00:06:04.540 our life with God. 00:06:05.060 --> 00:06:06.320 And it's a really great metaphor 00:06:06.320 --> 00:06:07.620 if you stop to think about it. 00:06:08.259 --> 00:06:09.800 It shows us that faith 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:11.360 is active and dynamic. 00:06:11.540 --> 00:06:12.500 It's not static. 00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:14.439 It tells us that our faith 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:15.680 has a certain pace to it. 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:16.439 It's not a sprint. 00:06:17.019 --> 00:06:18.360 It's an endurance race. 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:20.540 And it tells us 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:21.540 that faith is not just 00:06:21.540 --> 00:06:22.439 something in the past, 00:06:22.459 --> 00:06:23.699 but it's oriented towards 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:25.319 a goal in the future. 00:06:26.180 --> 00:06:27.720 And Paul uses this walking metaphor 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:28.500 quite a lot 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:30.860 in the second half of Ephesians. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:32.959 He says we are to walk in unity. 00:06:33.300 --> 00:06:34.879 We're to walk in holiness. 00:06:35.459 --> 00:06:36.879 We are to walk in light 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:37.980 and in love. 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:39.540 And in our passage, 00:06:39.540 --> 00:06:41.279 we're to walk in wisdom. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:42.899 Walking in wisdom 00:06:42.899 --> 00:06:43.739 simply means 00:06:43.739 --> 00:06:45.219 mastering the art 00:06:45.219 --> 00:06:46.299 of living well. 00:06:47.579 --> 00:06:48.479 Mastering the art 00:06:48.479 --> 00:06:49.099 of living well. 00:06:49.179 --> 00:06:50.079 The wise person 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:52.259 understands her context 00:06:52.259 --> 00:06:53.079 and can discern 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:54.539 how she should respond, 00:06:54.739 --> 00:06:55.639 how she should act 00:06:55.639 --> 00:06:57.500 in any given situation. 00:06:58.539 --> 00:06:59.399 And so in our passage 00:06:59.399 --> 00:06:59.859 this morning, 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.019 verses 15 to 21, 00:07:02.239 --> 00:07:03.039 Paul is answering 00:07:03.039 --> 00:07:03.859 two questions. 00:07:04.659 --> 00:07:05.500 When are we 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:07.099 and how should we then live? 00:07:07.579 --> 00:07:08.619 When are we 00:07:08.619 --> 00:07:10.739 and how should we then live? 00:07:10.740 --> 00:07:11.780 So the first question, 00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:12.480 when are we? 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:13.300 Well, Paul has 00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:14.699 a surprising answer. 00:07:15.259 --> 00:07:16.220 It's actually kind of 00:07:16.220 --> 00:07:16.840 a scary one. 00:07:16.900 --> 00:07:18.180 He says we are living 00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:19.600 in evil days. 00:07:19.699 --> 00:07:20.540 So what in the world 00:07:20.540 --> 00:07:22.079 does Paul mean by that? 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:22.939 Seems very dramatic. 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:24.120 Well, Paul hints 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:24.759 at what he means 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:26.160 earlier in his letter 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:26.819 to the Ephesians 00:07:26.819 --> 00:07:27.639 in chapter 2. 00:07:28.660 --> 00:07:30.180 He says that we are living 00:07:30.180 --> 00:07:31.000 in a time 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:31.860 where there are forces 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:32.319 at work. 00:07:32.400 --> 00:07:33.360 He calls them the world 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:34.439 and the flesh 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:35.439 and the devil. 00:07:35.960 --> 00:07:37.079 These forces that desire 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:38.040 nothing less 00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:39.780 than our distraction 00:07:39.780 --> 00:07:41.760 or our destruction. 00:07:42.760 --> 00:07:44.080 And when you think about it, 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:44.600 in the end, 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:45.580 these two aren't 00:07:45.580 --> 00:07:46.420 really that different. 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:48.379 I think it can be easy 00:07:48.379 --> 00:07:49.480 to think that time 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:50.400 is neutral. 00:07:50.840 --> 00:07:52.140 But that's not at all 00:07:52.140 --> 00:07:53.040 how the Bible 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:53.980 describes it. 00:07:54.740 --> 00:07:55.020 You see, 00:07:55.180 --> 00:07:55.860 the Apostle Paul 00:07:55.860 --> 00:07:56.840 conceives of time 00:07:56.840 --> 00:07:58.540 in two ages. 00:07:58.759 --> 00:07:59.400 There are two ages. 00:07:59.540 --> 00:08:00.400 First, there's the present 00:08:00.400 --> 00:08:01.140 evil age 00:08:01.140 --> 00:08:02.560 in which we currently live. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:03.560 That's the time 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:04.180 between Jesus' 00:08:04.379 --> 00:08:05.080 first coming 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:07.779 and his second coming. 00:08:08.539 --> 00:08:10.039 And the second age 00:08:10.039 --> 00:08:11.000 is the age to come, 00:08:11.060 --> 00:08:11.800 what we call heaven, 00:08:12.099 --> 00:08:12.959 when Jesus returns 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:14.159 and sets the world 00:08:14.159 --> 00:08:14.899 to rights. 00:08:15.620 --> 00:08:17.240 We live in the present 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:18.099 evil age. 00:08:18.180 --> 00:08:18.919 And so even though 00:08:18.919 --> 00:08:19.620 we are living 00:08:19.620 --> 00:08:21.240 2,000 or so years 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:22.620 after the Apostle Paul, 00:08:23.099 --> 00:08:24.959 we inhabit the same time. 00:08:25.659 --> 00:08:26.500 And so when Paul says 00:08:26.500 --> 00:08:27.759 we're living in evil days, 00:08:27.819 --> 00:08:28.500 what he's doing 00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:29.819 is he's providing 00:08:29.819 --> 00:08:30.879 our existential 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:31.719 or spiritual 00:08:31.719 --> 00:08:32.819 time coordinates. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:34.639 We live in a time 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:35.419 where there's powerful 00:08:35.419 --> 00:08:36.960 forces working 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:37.879 against us, 00:08:38.259 --> 00:08:39.039 trying to thwart 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:39.840 any progress 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:40.620 we might make 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:41.539 in our walk 00:08:41.539 --> 00:08:42.179 with God. 00:08:42.980 --> 00:08:43.559 And so during 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:44.919 these evil days, 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:45.679 the Christian life 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:46.879 is less of a walk 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:47.419 in the park 00:08:47.419 --> 00:08:48.659 and more like a walk 00:08:48.659 --> 00:08:49.720 through a minefield. 00:08:50.679 --> 00:08:51.500 It's meant to be 00:08:51.500 --> 00:08:52.179 sobering. 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:53.840 So, 00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:55.019 what does this mean 00:08:55.019 --> 00:08:55.600 for how we should 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:56.480 live our lives? 00:08:57.199 --> 00:08:58.120 Because the days 00:08:58.120 --> 00:08:58.659 are evil, 00:08:58.860 --> 00:08:59.439 Paul writes, 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:00.980 look carefully 00:09:00.980 --> 00:09:02.460 then how you walk. 00:09:03.059 --> 00:09:04.200 Not as unwise, 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:04.900 but as wise, 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:06.340 the exhortation 00:09:06.340 --> 00:09:06.820 is to make 00:09:06.820 --> 00:09:07.800 the best use 00:09:07.800 --> 00:09:08.700 of our time. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:10.080 And so I want 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:10.480 to point out 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:11.440 two things here. 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:12.520 First is, 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:13.100 because the days 00:09:13.100 --> 00:09:13.480 are evil, 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:14.200 Paul says we are 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:15.560 to remain vigilant. 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:16.000 We're supposed 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:17.060 to be very careful. 00:09:17.780 --> 00:09:18.640 Look carefully 00:09:18.640 --> 00:09:19.360 at how we walk. 00:09:19.420 --> 00:09:20.280 We're not to 00:09:20.280 --> 00:09:21.540 fall asleep spiritually. 00:09:21.680 --> 00:09:22.820 Paul wants us 00:09:22.820 --> 00:09:23.520 to wake up. 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:25.240 And he calls us 00:09:25.240 --> 00:09:27.060 to live very intentionally 00:09:27.060 --> 00:09:28.660 with great care. 00:09:28.740 --> 00:09:29.160 He calls us 00:09:29.160 --> 00:09:30.360 to watch our steps, 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:31.360 watch where we walk. 00:09:31.940 --> 00:09:32.420 And I want to be 00:09:32.420 --> 00:09:33.060 very clear here. 00:09:33.059 --> 00:09:34.319 Paul is not saying 00:09:34.319 --> 00:09:34.639 we're supposed 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:35.599 to live in fear. 00:09:36.419 --> 00:09:37.259 Neither is he saying 00:09:37.259 --> 00:09:37.659 we're supposed 00:09:37.659 --> 00:09:38.619 to disengage 00:09:38.619 --> 00:09:39.419 from the world. 00:09:39.500 --> 00:09:40.000 He's saying 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:40.359 we're supposed 00:09:40.359 --> 00:09:41.559 to take great care 00:09:41.559 --> 00:09:42.739 in how we engage 00:09:42.739 --> 00:09:43.019 the world, 00:09:43.119 --> 00:09:43.719 take great care 00:09:43.719 --> 00:09:44.299 in how we spend 00:09:44.299 --> 00:09:44.619 our time. 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:45.759 We are to seize 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:47.159 every single opportunity 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:48.459 we have to love God 00:09:48.459 --> 00:09:50.099 and to love our neighbors, 00:09:50.179 --> 00:09:50.879 to take advantage 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:51.959 of every chance 00:09:51.959 --> 00:09:52.819 we have 00:09:52.819 --> 00:09:54.419 to be signposts 00:09:54.419 --> 00:09:55.239 for the kingdom 00:09:55.239 --> 00:09:55.859 of God 00:09:55.859 --> 00:09:56.899 in a dark world. 00:09:57.299 --> 00:09:58.079 We're to not 00:09:58.079 --> 00:09:58.839 waste our time. 00:09:59.859 --> 00:10:00.739 The second thing 00:10:00.739 --> 00:10:01.419 I want to point out 00:10:01.419 --> 00:10:02.099 is just what I find 00:10:02.099 --> 00:10:02.839 most interesting 00:10:02.839 --> 00:10:04.259 about this passage. 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:05.500 What I find 00:10:05.500 --> 00:10:06.459 most interesting 00:10:06.459 --> 00:10:07.059 is that Paul 00:10:07.059 --> 00:10:07.839 doesn't give us 00:10:07.839 --> 00:10:08.759 a list of rules 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:09.479 for how to not 00:10:09.479 --> 00:10:10.339 waste our time. 00:10:10.939 --> 00:10:11.740 He doesn't give us 00:10:11.740 --> 00:10:12.479 a bunch of rules. 00:10:12.579 --> 00:10:12.740 Instead, 00:10:12.839 --> 00:10:13.259 he gives us 00:10:13.259 --> 00:10:14.079 a kind of pattern 00:10:14.079 --> 00:10:15.360 and then a really 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:16.099 great example. 00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:16.899 And so I want to look 00:10:16.899 --> 00:10:17.519 at that pattern 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:18.339 that he gives us 00:10:18.339 --> 00:10:19.379 and then unpack 00:10:19.379 --> 00:10:20.099 the example 00:10:20.099 --> 00:10:20.740 a little bit. 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:23.120 So here's the pattern. 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:24.120 Our passage 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:24.939 is structured 00:10:24.939 --> 00:10:26.019 around three 00:10:26.019 --> 00:10:27.459 contrasting statements. 00:10:27.959 --> 00:10:28.719 Don't be this way, 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:29.519 be this way instead. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:29.659 Instead, 00:10:30.019 --> 00:10:30.799 don't do this, 00:10:31.019 --> 00:10:31.960 do this instead. 00:10:32.659 --> 00:10:33.039 He says, 00:10:33.139 --> 00:10:35.100 do not be unwise, 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:36.319 but be wise. 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:37.860 Do not be foolish, 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:38.939 but discern the will 00:10:38.939 --> 00:10:39.519 of the Lord. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:40.439 And then finally, 00:10:40.579 --> 00:10:41.379 do not get drunk 00:10:41.379 --> 00:10:41.899 with wine, 00:10:41.980 --> 00:10:42.500 but be filled 00:10:42.500 --> 00:10:43.360 with the Spirit. 00:10:43.460 --> 00:10:44.500 Three contrasts. 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:45.939 What we're seeing 00:10:45.939 --> 00:10:46.860 is a profound 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:48.159 moral logic here. 00:10:48.939 --> 00:10:49.899 We shouldn't be surprised 00:10:49.899 --> 00:10:51.000 that this is in the Bible. 00:10:51.299 --> 00:10:51.500 You see, 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:52.720 God created us. 00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:54.159 He knows how we tick. 00:10:54.259 --> 00:10:55.199 He knows how we're formed 00:10:55.199 --> 00:10:56.079 and what we need. 00:10:56.579 --> 00:10:57.559 He knows that nature 00:10:57.559 --> 00:10:58.600 and the human soul 00:10:58.600 --> 00:10:59.540 abhor a vacuum. 00:11:00.519 --> 00:11:01.420 Our Heavenly Father knows 00:11:01.420 --> 00:11:02.080 that when his kids 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:02.560 are hungry, 00:11:02.980 --> 00:11:04.080 it won't do to just say 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:04.899 don't have candy. 00:11:05.379 --> 00:11:06.120 He needs to provide 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:07.759 a carrot for us instead. 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:09.159 And the moral logic 00:11:09.159 --> 00:11:09.840 is really simple. 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:11.019 It's as simple as this. 00:11:11.420 --> 00:11:12.000 Say no 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:13.320 to say yes. 00:11:13.820 --> 00:11:14.340 It's simply 00:11:14.340 --> 00:11:15.519 but elegantly pictured 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:16.480 in this slide 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:18.139 of a thumbs up 00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:19.399 and a thumbs down. 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:21.139 This is what it means 00:11:21.139 --> 00:11:22.420 to walk in wisdom. 00:11:23.060 --> 00:11:24.100 This is what it looks like. 00:11:24.500 --> 00:11:26.139 Saying no or yes 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:27.699 to the right things 00:11:27.699 --> 00:11:28.980 at the right time. 00:11:29.620 --> 00:11:30.939 Saying no or yes 00:11:30.939 --> 00:11:31.960 to the right things 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:33.500 at the right time. 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:34.939 Very simple, 00:11:35.379 --> 00:11:36.539 not very easy. 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:38.299 That's the pattern. 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:39.620 Now I want to look 00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:40.679 at the example 00:11:40.679 --> 00:11:41.799 that Paul gives us. 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:42.779 And it may seem odd 00:11:42.779 --> 00:11:43.319 at first, 00:11:44.139 --> 00:11:45.419 but if you stop 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:46.039 to think about it 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:46.720 and reflect upon it, 00:11:46.740 --> 00:11:47.279 it's actually 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:48.679 a brilliant example. 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:51.159 Paul says in 518, 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:52.899 do not get drunk 00:11:52.899 --> 00:11:53.600 with wine 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:55.399 for that is debauchery. 00:11:56.179 --> 00:11:56.600 Instead, 00:11:56.839 --> 00:11:57.419 be filled 00:11:57.419 --> 00:11:58.399 with the Spirit. 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:00.240 So why does Paul 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:01.419 mention wine here? 00:12:02.319 --> 00:12:02.719 Well, it's not 00:12:02.719 --> 00:12:03.879 the use of alcohol 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:04.959 but the abuse 00:12:04.959 --> 00:12:05.600 of alcohol 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:06.759 that's the problem. 00:12:06.919 --> 00:12:08.120 And so Paul mentions 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:09.319 getting drunk, 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:10.439 not getting drunk 00:12:10.439 --> 00:12:12.019 because on the surface, 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:12.759 getting drunk 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:14.000 is a really obvious 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.459 example of wasting time. 00:12:17.459 --> 00:12:18.139 Now, the word 00:12:18.139 --> 00:12:18.779 for debauchery 00:12:18.779 --> 00:12:19.620 I think would probably 00:12:19.620 --> 00:12:20.639 be better translated 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.100 as dissipation. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:22.779 Don't get drunk 00:12:22.779 --> 00:12:23.220 with wine 00:12:23.220 --> 00:12:24.259 for that is dissipation. 00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:25.120 Dissipation means 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:26.340 to squander 00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:27.539 or to waste 00:12:27.539 --> 00:12:29.419 the act of wasting 00:12:29.419 --> 00:12:30.919 by misuse. 00:12:31.860 --> 00:12:32.439 If you want 00:12:32.439 --> 00:12:33.379 to waste your life, 00:12:33.939 --> 00:12:35.019 get wasted all the time. 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:35.879 That's what Paul 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:36.759 is saying. 00:12:37.699 --> 00:12:38.259 And if we dig 00:12:38.259 --> 00:12:39.159 a little bit deeper 00:12:39.159 --> 00:12:40.439 and we pay attention 00:12:40.439 --> 00:12:41.480 to the contrast 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:42.419 with being filled 00:12:42.419 --> 00:12:43.080 with the Spirit, 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:44.620 we'll see that 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:45.480 getting drunk 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:46.319 is not simply 00:12:46.319 --> 00:12:47.100 a good example 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:48.059 of wasting time. 00:12:48.980 --> 00:12:50.019 It shows us 00:12:50.019 --> 00:12:54.079 that getting drunk 00:12:54.079 --> 00:12:54.860 can lead to doing 00:12:54.860 --> 00:12:55.779 or saying things 00:12:55.779 --> 00:12:56.639 that you wouldn't do 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:57.779 if you were in your right mind, 00:12:57.819 --> 00:12:59.100 that you wouldn't do normally. 00:13:00.179 --> 00:13:01.759 So Paul contrasts wine 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:02.639 and the Holy Spirit 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:03.899 because these are two things 00:13:03.899 --> 00:13:04.899 external to us 00:13:04.899 --> 00:13:05.759 that can have 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:06.939 a profound influence 00:13:06.939 --> 00:13:07.439 on our lives, 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:08.679 two things outside of us 00:13:08.679 --> 00:13:09.779 that can shape us 00:13:09.779 --> 00:13:10.659 and drive us 00:13:10.659 --> 00:13:11.779 and dictate what we do. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:15.659 So when Paul says 00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:16.579 to be filled 00:13:16.579 --> 00:13:17.360 by the Spirit, 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:18.220 he's conjuring 00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:18.879 the image 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:19.800 of a boat, 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:20.600 of a sailboat 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:21.879 whose sails 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:23.240 are filled with wind 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:24.279 and driven forward. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:26.100 What you're filled with 00:13:26.100 --> 00:13:26.740 really matters. 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:27.320 What we allow 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:28.399 to fill our bodies 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:28.879 and our hearts 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:29.480 and our minds 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:30.940 has a profound influence. 00:13:31.580 --> 00:13:32.840 Be filled with wine 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:33.500 and this leads 00:13:33.500 --> 00:13:34.379 only to ruin, 00:13:35.300 --> 00:13:35.820 but be filled 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:36.360 with the Spirit 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:37.820 and this leads 00:13:37.820 --> 00:13:39.340 to all of the qualities 00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:40.340 of healthy relationships 00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:41.399 in Christian community 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:42.279 that we see 00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:43.920 in Ephesians 5 00:13:43.920 --> 00:13:44.759 verses 19 00:13:44.759 --> 00:13:45.399 through 21. 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:46.879 So if we want 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:47.759 to make the best use 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:48.480 of our time, 00:13:48.699 --> 00:13:49.279 Paul is saying, 00:13:49.699 --> 00:13:51.059 we need to be very careful 00:13:51.059 --> 00:13:52.100 about what we let 00:13:52.100 --> 00:13:53.519 influence our heart 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:54.740 and our mind 00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:55.699 and our body 00:13:55.699 --> 00:13:57.220 because we are 00:13:57.220 --> 00:13:58.179 so impressionable. 00:13:59.199 --> 00:14:00.519 We need to be wise 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:01.899 about what impacts us. 00:14:02.939 --> 00:14:03.419 Now I want you 00:14:03.419 --> 00:14:04.679 to think about something. 00:14:05.439 --> 00:14:06.579 If Paul were writing 00:14:06.579 --> 00:14:07.179 this letter 00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:08.100 not to the Ephesians 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:08.779 in the first century 00:14:08.779 --> 00:14:09.980 but to our church 00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:10.620 for instance 00:14:10.620 --> 00:14:12.279 in Washington D.C. 00:14:12.319 --> 00:14:13.379 in the 21st century, 00:14:13.379 --> 00:14:15.000 what example 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:15.539 do you think 00:14:15.539 --> 00:14:16.519 he might give 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:17.840 instead of 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:18.939 exhorting us 00:14:18.939 --> 00:14:19.939 not to get drunk 00:14:19.939 --> 00:14:20.519 with wine? 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:22.460 Take a minute 00:14:22.460 --> 00:14:22.980 to think about 00:14:22.980 --> 00:14:23.759 what he would say 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:25.240 instead of that example. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:28.220 Now of course 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:28.659 I think 00:14:28.659 --> 00:14:29.720 Paul's example 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:30.419 of alcohol, 00:14:30.679 --> 00:14:31.159 of getting drunk 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:32.019 would still apply 00:14:32.019 --> 00:14:32.779 to us 00:14:32.779 --> 00:14:33.580 and to our context 00:14:33.580 --> 00:14:34.120 but I'll tell you 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:34.600 what I think 00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:35.139 he would say. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:37.039 Instead of saying 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:37.740 don't get drunk 00:14:37.740 --> 00:14:38.240 with wine, 00:14:38.340 --> 00:14:39.519 I think Paul would say 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.320 don't get hypnotized 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:42.360 by your screens. 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:44.020 Don't get hypnotized 00:14:44.020 --> 00:14:44.680 by your screens. 00:14:45.260 --> 00:14:45.820 This leads us 00:14:45.820 --> 00:14:47.900 to the second move 00:14:47.900 --> 00:14:48.460 this morning. 00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:49.500 The greatest threat 00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:50.800 to making the best use 00:14:50.800 --> 00:14:51.680 of our time. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:52.980 I think 00:14:52.980 --> 00:14:54.260 that the greatest threat 00:14:54.260 --> 00:14:55.000 to our making 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:55.600 the best use 00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:56.180 of the time 00:14:56.180 --> 00:14:57.820 is our screens. 00:14:58.220 --> 00:14:59.020 Our smartphones, 00:14:59.300 --> 00:14:59.800 our tablets, 00:15:00.060 --> 00:15:00.620 our laptops, 00:15:00.780 --> 00:15:01.220 our TVs, 00:15:01.460 --> 00:15:03.020 however you like 00:15:03.020 --> 00:15:04.480 to stare at the screen. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:05.720 The black mirror 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:06.540 that casts 00:15:06.540 --> 00:15:08.240 the hypnotic blue glow 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:09.240 is the greatest threat 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:09.840 to our time. 00:15:09.940 --> 00:15:10.760 I'm convinced of that. 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:11.800 Now, 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:13.460 it's not lost on me 00:15:13.460 --> 00:15:14.240 that most of the people 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:15.200 listening to this sermon 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:16.320 are doing so 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:17.220 through a screen 00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:18.420 and I want to be very clear, 00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:20.160 screens in and of themselves 00:15:20.160 --> 00:15:20.860 aren't evil. 00:15:21.060 --> 00:15:22.360 It's not the use of screens, 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:24.120 it's the abuse of screens 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:25.420 just like with alcohol. 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:26.780 Nevertheless, 00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:27.740 I think screens 00:15:27.740 --> 00:15:29.280 are the greatest threat 00:15:29.280 --> 00:15:30.000 to our time. 00:15:31.040 --> 00:15:31.300 Now, 00:15:31.420 --> 00:15:31.800 this morning 00:15:31.800 --> 00:15:32.840 I'll resist 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:34.400 commenting on 00:15:34.400 --> 00:15:35.900 some of the alarming statistics 00:15:35.900 --> 00:15:37.920 between the impact 00:15:37.920 --> 00:15:38.640 of screens 00:15:38.640 --> 00:15:40.760 and our mental health 00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:42.000 and the destruction 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:43.159 of our social fabric. 00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:44.580 I know that correlation 00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:45.879 is not the same 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:46.720 as causation. 00:15:47.620 --> 00:15:48.120 The data 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:49.740 isn't yet conclusive on that. 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:51.080 We're still subjecting ourselves 00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:51.659 and our children 00:15:51.659 --> 00:15:52.480 to that experiment. 00:15:53.259 --> 00:15:53.759 I think we'll 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:55.059 have to wait a few more years 00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:56.580 to really see 00:15:56.580 --> 00:15:57.740 what it's doing to us. 00:15:57.960 --> 00:15:59.000 But what I can say 00:15:59.000 --> 00:15:59.580 with confidence 00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:02.779 is that screens 00:16:02.779 --> 00:16:03.779 are the greatest threat 00:16:03.779 --> 00:16:04.679 to making the best use 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:05.299 of our time 00:16:05.299 --> 00:16:06.659 because of their power 00:16:06.659 --> 00:16:07.259 for addiction 00:16:07.259 --> 00:16:08.679 and their power 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:09.599 for manipulation. 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:10.659 Our screens 00:16:10.659 --> 00:16:11.939 are causing us 00:16:11.939 --> 00:16:12.559 to be addicted 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:14.259 and they're manipulating us. 00:16:15.319 --> 00:16:16.279 I think the greatest 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:17.339 external influence, 00:16:17.479 --> 00:16:18.519 the primary place 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:20.139 of our catechesis, 00:16:20.259 --> 00:16:21.159 of our forming 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:21.699 our hearts 00:16:21.699 --> 00:16:22.359 and our minds, 00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:24.459 shaping our moral imaginations, 00:16:24.819 --> 00:16:26.159 is the media 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:26.979 that we consume 00:16:26.979 --> 00:16:27.979 on our screens. 00:16:28.740 --> 00:16:29.339 And we really need 00:16:29.339 --> 00:16:30.240 to walk in wisdom 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:32.539 with this technology 00:16:32.539 --> 00:16:34.059 that is in our back pockets. 00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:35.659 Now, I probably 00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:36.879 don't need to convince you 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:37.979 about how addicting 00:16:37.979 --> 00:16:39.259 our screens are. 00:16:40.119 --> 00:16:40.819 But nevertheless, 00:16:41.099 --> 00:16:42.199 here are some statistics 00:16:42.199 --> 00:16:43.219 and these stats 00:16:43.219 --> 00:16:43.799 are about 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:45.259 just our phone screens. 00:16:45.359 --> 00:16:46.059 It doesn't have 00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:46.859 anything to say 00:16:46.859 --> 00:16:47.639 about our tablets 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:49.839 or our television use. 00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:51.399 On average, 00:16:51.939 --> 00:16:53.079 we pick up our phone 00:16:53.079 --> 00:16:54.179 and have a session 00:16:54.179 --> 00:16:55.000 on our phone 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.959 58 times a day. 00:16:57.879 --> 00:16:58.979 So if you're awake 00:16:58.979 --> 00:17:00.599 for 16 hours, 00:17:00.819 --> 00:17:01.719 that means 00:17:01.719 --> 00:17:02.739 we're on our phone 00:17:02.739 --> 00:17:03.799 for a session 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:05.119 every 15 minutes, 00:17:05.399 --> 00:17:06.240 four times an hour. 00:17:07.139 --> 00:17:08.259 The average American 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:10.379 spends three hours 00:17:10.379 --> 00:17:11.779 and 15 minutes 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.259 on their smartphone. 00:17:13.399 --> 00:17:14.159 And the top users, 00:17:14.299 --> 00:17:15.139 I suspect people 00:17:15.139 --> 00:17:16.220 like the folks 00:17:16.220 --> 00:17:16.819 in our church, 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:18.359 the average time 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:19.079 is up to four 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:20.259 and a half hours 00:17:20.259 --> 00:17:20.779 a day. 00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:22.619 That means we spend 00:17:22.619 --> 00:17:23.619 close to a quarter 00:17:23.619 --> 00:17:24.259 of our day 00:17:24.259 --> 00:17:25.099 bent over, 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:26.559 necks hunched, 00:17:26.879 --> 00:17:27.879 curved in on ourselves, 00:17:28.180 --> 00:17:29.379 staring at our screens. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:30.819 And studies show 00:17:30.819 --> 00:17:31.259 that you don't even 00:17:31.259 --> 00:17:31.919 have to be looking 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:32.500 at your phone 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:33.740 for it to distract you, 00:17:33.800 --> 00:17:34.600 to have an impact 00:17:34.600 --> 00:17:35.200 on your life. 00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:35.900 Even if it's in 00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:37.140 the same room with you, 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:38.360 it distracts us. 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:39.279 It distracts us 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:40.500 from our work 00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:41.519 or from our prayer 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:42.740 or being in conversation 00:17:42.740 --> 00:17:43.380 with people 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:44.360 that are actually 00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:44.960 with us 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:45.960 in the same room. 00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:46.980 You know, 00:17:47.080 --> 00:17:48.420 I am embarrassed to say, 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:49.080 but I can't tell you 00:17:49.080 --> 00:17:49.840 how many times 00:17:49.840 --> 00:17:51.080 I've looked down 00:17:51.080 --> 00:17:51.560 at my phone 00:17:51.560 --> 00:17:52.240 to check something 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:52.920 and I don't have 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:53.960 notifications on my phone. 00:17:54.019 --> 00:17:54.580 I'm smart enough 00:17:54.580 --> 00:17:55.600 not to have notifications, 00:17:55.779 --> 00:17:56.560 but I look at my phone 00:17:56.560 --> 00:17:57.600 to check my email 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:59.719 or a calendar appointment 00:17:59.719 --> 00:18:00.859 and then just seeing 00:18:00.859 --> 00:18:02.099 an app on my phone 00:18:02.099 --> 00:18:03.439 distracts me. 00:18:03.779 --> 00:18:04.859 And I'm mindlessly 00:18:04.859 --> 00:18:05.559 sucked into 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:06.899 the timeless news feed 00:18:06.899 --> 00:18:09.579 or a funny cat video 00:18:09.579 --> 00:18:10.159 vortex 00:18:10.159 --> 00:18:11.639 or some other stupid thing 00:18:11.639 --> 00:18:12.279 on the internet 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:14.000 only to be spit out 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:14.740 an hour later 00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:15.559 realizing that I've 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:16.659 totally lost track 00:18:16.659 --> 00:18:17.539 of my time. 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:18.699 I don't even know what, 00:18:18.779 --> 00:18:19.339 I can't remember 00:18:19.339 --> 00:18:19.899 what just happened 00:18:19.899 --> 00:18:20.599 for the past hour. 00:18:20.679 --> 00:18:20.879 I don't know 00:18:20.879 --> 00:18:22.019 if you can relate to that. 00:18:22.939 --> 00:18:24.500 Our screens are dicting 00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:26.659 and they're wasting our time. 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:28.320 And they're not addictive 00:18:28.320 --> 00:18:29.279 by accident. 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:31.620 A documentary called 00:18:31.620 --> 00:18:32.660 The Social Dilemma 00:18:32.660 --> 00:18:34.500 talks about this. 00:18:34.820 --> 00:18:36.279 This is a great documentary. 00:18:36.540 --> 00:18:37.580 I encourage you 00:18:37.580 --> 00:18:38.480 to read it 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.540 or to watch it. 00:18:40.700 --> 00:18:41.700 The documentary 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:42.720 interviews leaders 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:43.600 from big tech 00:18:43.600 --> 00:18:46.040 and people who've 00:18:46.040 --> 00:18:47.300 waken up to 00:18:47.300 --> 00:18:48.560 how harmful 00:18:48.560 --> 00:18:50.060 the tech industry can be, 00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:50.540 how harmful 00:18:50.540 --> 00:18:51.620 some of this technology 00:18:51.620 --> 00:18:52.340 and media 00:18:52.340 --> 00:18:53.019 and the apps 00:18:53.019 --> 00:18:53.600 and platforms 00:18:53.600 --> 00:18:54.519 and sites 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:56.200 that they helped create 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:56.660 can be. 00:18:56.940 --> 00:18:57.580 They pull back 00:18:57.580 --> 00:18:57.980 the curtain 00:18:57.980 --> 00:18:59.940 for why this technology 00:18:59.940 --> 00:19:00.900 and why our screens 00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:02.140 are so highly addictive. 00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:03.740 All these big companies, 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:04.700 Google, 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:05.360 Facebook, 00:19:05.600 --> 00:19:05.980 Instagram, 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:06.620 Pinterest, 00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:08.220 they all have 00:19:08.220 --> 00:19:08.920 a business model 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:09.620 that depends 00:19:09.620 --> 00:19:11.240 on gluing eyes 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:12.100 to screens. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:13.380 Their bottom line 00:19:13.380 --> 00:19:14.120 depends on this. 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:15.600 And so an unbelievable 00:19:15.600 --> 00:19:17.080 amount of resources 00:19:17.080 --> 00:19:17.960 is devoted to 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:18.960 hacking our attention 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.500 and exploiting 00:19:20.500 --> 00:19:21.440 our vulnerabilities. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:23.779 The saying goes, 00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:25.240 if you're not paying 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:25.879 for a product 00:19:25.879 --> 00:19:26.639 like Gmail, 00:19:26.819 --> 00:19:27.379 for instance, 00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:29.099 you are the product. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:30.299 Our attention 00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:31.299 is the product. 00:19:31.379 --> 00:19:32.200 They're making money 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:33.420 off of our attention 00:19:33.420 --> 00:19:34.139 and so they want 00:19:34.139 --> 00:19:35.039 to get the most of it 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:35.619 that they can. 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:37.879 That's why it's addicting. 00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:38.460 But the reality 00:19:38.460 --> 00:19:40.460 actually is far worse. 00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:41.819 The danger of screens 00:19:41.819 --> 00:19:43.059 is far worse 00:19:43.059 --> 00:19:44.259 than just addiction. 00:19:45.139 --> 00:19:46.000 The real source 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:46.379 of money 00:19:46.379 --> 00:19:47.859 is not just 00:19:47.859 --> 00:19:48.539 our attention 00:19:48.539 --> 00:19:49.940 but the manipulation 00:19:49.940 --> 00:19:51.539 of our behavior, 00:19:51.539 --> 00:19:52.460 the manipulation 00:19:52.460 --> 00:19:53.740 of our activity 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:54.399 in the world. 00:19:55.079 --> 00:19:55.619 This is how 00:19:55.619 --> 00:19:56.559 Jaron Lanier 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:57.200 describes it. 00:19:57.339 --> 00:19:58.000 He's a really 00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:59.039 fascinating guy. 00:19:59.180 --> 00:20:00.000 He's a Silicon Valley 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:00.460 scientist, 00:20:00.740 --> 00:20:01.659 the author of a book 00:20:01.659 --> 00:20:02.859 called Ten Arguments 00:20:02.859 --> 00:20:03.839 for Deleting 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:04.759 Your Social Media 00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:05.799 Accounts Right Now. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:06.680 He says this. 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:07.460 This is how 00:20:07.460 --> 00:20:08.480 they monetize 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:09.639 these companies. 00:20:10.399 --> 00:20:11.420 It's the gradual, 00:20:12.539 --> 00:20:13.220 slight, 00:20:13.940 --> 00:20:15.220 imperceptible change 00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:16.079 in our behavior 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:17.019 and perception 00:20:17.019 --> 00:20:18.259 that is the product. 00:20:18.379 --> 00:20:18.740 That's what they're 00:20:18.740 --> 00:20:19.639 making money off of. 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:21.220 That's the only thing 00:20:21.220 --> 00:20:22.460 for them to make money from. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:24.140 This is terrifying. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:25.660 Changing what you do, 00:20:26.280 --> 00:20:27.120 how you think, 00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:28.460 and who you are. 00:20:29.140 --> 00:20:30.340 That's the real danger 00:20:30.340 --> 00:20:31.060 of screens. 00:20:31.800 --> 00:20:32.480 They're changing 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:33.040 what we do, 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:34.480 what we think, 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:35.720 and who we are. 00:20:35.800 --> 00:20:36.480 We're being manipulated 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:36.960 by them. 00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:38.020 We're willingly 00:20:38.020 --> 00:20:38.820 being manipulated 00:20:38.820 --> 00:20:39.500 by them. 00:20:39.740 --> 00:20:40.840 We hold our screens 00:20:40.840 --> 00:20:41.720 but our screens 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:42.820 really have a grip 00:20:42.820 --> 00:20:43.220 on us. 00:20:43.259 --> 00:20:44.259 Now here's a real world 00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:45.500 example of what 00:20:45.500 --> 00:20:46.100 this manipulation 00:20:46.100 --> 00:20:47.100 can look like. 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:48.880 They talk about this 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:49.560 in the documentary. 00:20:50.300 --> 00:20:50.940 A couple years ago 00:20:50.940 --> 00:20:52.360 Facebook did an experiment 00:20:52.360 --> 00:20:53.160 on its users 00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:54.240 and they're constantly 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:55.220 running experiments 00:20:55.220 --> 00:20:55.720 on us, 00:20:55.840 --> 00:20:56.540 believe it or not. 00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:57.660 They were testing 00:20:57.660 --> 00:20:59.180 to see if subliminal 00:20:59.180 --> 00:21:00.640 cues on Facebook pages 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:01.480 could impact 00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:02.280 voter turnout. 00:21:03.380 --> 00:21:05.360 And they twisted 00:21:05.360 --> 00:21:06.180 some dials 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:07.040 and they realized 00:21:07.040 --> 00:21:08.120 that they could 00:21:08.120 --> 00:21:09.140 actually change 00:21:09.140 --> 00:21:10.759 real world events. 00:21:10.900 --> 00:21:11.720 The subliminal cues 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:12.160 worked. 00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:13.720 Got more people 00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:14.360 to vote in 00:21:14.360 --> 00:21:15.200 midterm elections. 00:21:15.980 --> 00:21:16.420 And of course 00:21:16.420 --> 00:21:17.800 voting is good 00:21:17.800 --> 00:21:18.440 but this kind of 00:21:18.440 --> 00:21:19.500 power is terrifying. 00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:20.700 They could 00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:21.500 maybe get us 00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:22.380 to not vote 00:21:22.380 --> 00:21:23.060 or vote 00:21:23.060 --> 00:21:23.520 for a particular 00:21:23.520 --> 00:21:23.900 candidate 00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:25.800 or another candidate. 00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:27.020 They can manipulate 00:21:27.020 --> 00:21:27.720 our behavior 00:21:27.720 --> 00:21:29.420 and our emotions 00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:31.100 and real world events 00:21:31.100 --> 00:21:31.720 without us 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:32.460 ever knowing 00:21:32.460 --> 00:21:33.259 that they're influencing 00:21:33.259 --> 00:21:33.640 us. 00:21:34.300 --> 00:21:35.100 It's pretty scary 00:21:35.100 --> 00:21:35.480 stuff. 00:21:37.040 --> 00:21:37.840 Our phone screens, 00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:38.440 I like to think 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:38.780 of them, 00:21:38.860 --> 00:21:40.200 is sort of like 00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:41.340 a pocket-sized 00:21:41.340 --> 00:21:42.000 black hole 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.759 relentlessly sucking 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:45.180 in all of our time 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:45.860 into itself 00:21:45.859 --> 00:21:47.159 and when it spits 00:21:47.159 --> 00:21:47.779 us back out 00:21:47.779 --> 00:21:48.959 it's manipulated 00:21:48.959 --> 00:21:49.679 into what we think 00:21:49.679 --> 00:21:50.539 and what we feel 00:21:50.539 --> 00:21:51.500 and what we do. 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:52.240 And as disciples 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:53.179 of Jesus Christ 00:21:53.179 --> 00:21:54.139 we need to pay 00:21:54.139 --> 00:21:54.839 attention to this 00:21:54.839 --> 00:21:55.439 and we need to think 00:21:55.439 --> 00:21:56.219 about how we're 00:21:56.219 --> 00:21:57.500 using this technology. 00:21:58.939 --> 00:22:00.319 Now to their good credit 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.000 some people 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:01.879 in the tech industry 00:22:01.879 --> 00:22:03.979 are trying to resist 00:22:03.979 --> 00:22:05.299 the corrosive effect 00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:06.959 of screens. 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:09.240 They've wakened up 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:09.619 to this 00:22:09.619 --> 00:22:10.139 and they're trying 00:22:10.139 --> 00:22:10.939 to sort of solve 00:22:10.939 --> 00:22:11.779 some of the problems 00:22:11.779 --> 00:22:12.699 that they've created. 00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:13.880 And this has given 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:14.880 rise to a movement 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:15.779 called the Time 00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:17.100 Well Spent Movement. 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:19.039 I don't know about you 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:19.819 but I'm a little bit 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:20.720 suspicious of turning 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:21.340 to big tech 00:22:21.340 --> 00:22:22.360 to solve some of the 00:22:22.360 --> 00:22:23.480 problems that they've 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:23.900 created. 00:22:24.740 --> 00:22:25.600 Especially when 00:22:25.600 --> 00:22:26.160 as Christians 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:27.420 we have tremendous 00:22:27.420 --> 00:22:28.539 resources from 00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:29.640 the Christian tradition 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:30.759 to do this. 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:32.039 And so 00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:33.480 lastly I want to look 00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:34.779 at and introduce 00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:35.980 perhaps reintroduce 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:37.039 us to some 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:37.920 practices 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:39.059 for us to make 00:22:39.059 --> 00:22:39.819 the best use 00:22:39.819 --> 00:22:40.519 of our time. 00:22:41.120 --> 00:22:41.660 I like to think 00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:42.180 of these 00:22:42.180 --> 00:22:43.580 as ancient wisdom 00:22:43.580 --> 00:22:44.380 for some of our 00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:45.440 modern problems. 00:22:46.360 --> 00:22:47.140 The three practices 00:22:47.140 --> 00:22:47.880 are fasting, 00:22:48.620 --> 00:22:49.400 the daily office, 00:22:49.820 --> 00:22:50.680 and the Sabbath. 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:52.140 And this is 00:22:52.140 --> 00:22:53.460 a lot of this 00:22:53.460 --> 00:22:54.820 is from chapter 6 00:22:54.820 --> 00:22:56.340 of Emotionally Healthy 00:22:56.340 --> 00:22:56.980 Spirituality 00:22:56.980 --> 00:22:57.680 which we're tracking 00:22:57.680 --> 00:22:58.660 through in our 00:22:58.660 --> 00:22:59.140 core groups. 00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:01.400 So we'll spend 00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:01.940 more time 00:23:01.940 --> 00:23:02.680 in our core groups 00:23:02.680 --> 00:23:03.299 talking about 00:23:03.299 --> 00:23:04.259 some of these details. 00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:05.000 What I'm going to 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:05.640 talk about now 00:23:05.640 --> 00:23:06.460 is not really 00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:06.960 trying to be 00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:07.480 comprehensive. 00:23:08.340 --> 00:23:08.900 It's more of 00:23:08.900 --> 00:23:09.620 a quick overview 00:23:09.620 --> 00:23:10.400 of how we can 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:11.279 incorporate these 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:11.759 practices 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:12.720 into our lives 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:13.339 with a mind 00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:14.819 towards resisting 00:23:14.819 --> 00:23:15.660 the power of 00:23:15.660 --> 00:23:16.819 screens in our lives. 00:23:16.980 --> 00:23:17.480 So first 00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:18.339 the practice 00:23:18.339 --> 00:23:19.099 of fasting. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:21.019 The same moral logic 00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:22.019 applies to fasting 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:22.660 as we've been 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:23.279 talking about. 00:23:23.879 --> 00:23:24.420 It's the practice 00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:25.200 of saying no 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:26.500 so that we can 00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:27.440 say yes 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:28.259 to other things. 00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:29.359 This week 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:30.160 as a community 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:31.259 we're inviting you 00:23:31.259 --> 00:23:32.240 to fast 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:33.119 from social media 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:33.940 to give some 00:23:33.940 --> 00:23:34.359 of this 00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:35.140 a try. 00:23:36.099 --> 00:23:36.759 And realistically 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:38.940 fasting for a week 00:23:38.940 --> 00:23:39.759 from social media 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:40.759 is not going 00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:42.120 to rewire 00:23:42.120 --> 00:23:42.840 our brain 00:23:42.840 --> 00:23:43.420 or break 00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:43.980 bad habits. 00:23:44.059 --> 00:23:44.960 We spend so much 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:46.039 time on our screens 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:47.259 we can't break 00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:47.920 the bad habit 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:48.660 in just a week. 00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:50.080 I'd like to think 00:23:50.080 --> 00:23:50.480 of it more 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:51.440 as like a diagnostic 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:52.299 tool this week 00:23:52.299 --> 00:23:52.900 with fasting 00:23:52.900 --> 00:23:53.660 from social media. 00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:54.380 It will probably 00:23:54.380 --> 00:23:55.340 just expose 00:23:55.340 --> 00:23:56.120 our dependence 00:23:56.120 --> 00:23:57.360 to our screens. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:58.700 But that's 00:23:58.700 --> 00:23:59.620 a good thing. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:00.400 It's a good first step. 00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:01.019 Admitting that you 00:24:01.019 --> 00:24:01.640 have a problem 00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:02.480 is the first step 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:03.640 towards recovery. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:05.080 The first step 00:24:05.080 --> 00:24:05.720 towards walking 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:06.220 and wisdom. 00:24:07.140 --> 00:24:07.759 So fast. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:09.220 Fast from social media. 00:24:09.380 --> 00:24:10.620 Stop using social media. 00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:12.480 Limit your intake 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:13.400 of other media 00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:13.960 as well. 00:24:14.819 --> 00:24:15.799 Try to stay off screens 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:16.759 as much as possible 00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:17.740 outside of work 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:18.519 or school. 00:24:19.500 --> 00:24:20.140 And as you go 00:24:20.140 --> 00:24:20.839 through this experience 00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:21.500 ask yourself 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:22.100 pay attention 00:24:22.100 --> 00:24:22.480 journal 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.480 what is it like 00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:24.259 to unplug? 00:24:24.620 --> 00:24:25.160 What is it like 00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:25.740 to get off 00:24:25.740 --> 00:24:26.600 of your screen? 00:24:27.600 --> 00:24:28.299 How is the Lord 00:24:28.299 --> 00:24:28.940 inviting you? 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:29.660 Ask yourself this 00:24:29.660 --> 00:24:30.220 how is the Lord 00:24:30.220 --> 00:24:30.799 inviting you 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:31.360 to repent 00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:32.400 and believe 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:33.140 this week? 00:24:33.660 --> 00:24:34.380 Remember repentance 00:24:34.380 --> 00:24:35.079 is not just 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:35.699 is not really 00:24:35.699 --> 00:24:36.379 feeling bad 00:24:36.379 --> 00:24:37.939 about bad habits 00:24:37.939 --> 00:24:38.919 or what you've done 00:24:38.919 --> 00:24:40.059 or about yourself. 00:24:40.579 --> 00:24:41.019 Repenting is 00:24:41.019 --> 00:24:41.639 turning around. 00:24:41.919 --> 00:24:42.480 It's turning 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:44.259 from deadly habits 00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:45.139 towards more 00:24:45.139 --> 00:24:45.960 life-giving ones 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:47.599 from deadly activities 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:48.559 to more life-giving 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:49.159 activities. 00:24:50.199 --> 00:24:50.899 So that's the first 00:24:50.899 --> 00:24:52.059 practice fasting. 00:24:52.619 --> 00:24:53.279 The next two 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:54.679 the daily office 00:24:54.679 --> 00:24:55.759 and the Sabbath 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:56.799 are more directly 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:57.839 related to time. 00:24:58.599 --> 00:24:59.359 And I like to think 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:00.679 of these two practices 00:25:00.679 --> 00:25:03.539 as contemplative life hacks 00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:04.919 contemplative time hacks. 00:25:05.579 --> 00:25:06.019 They're daily 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:07.099 and weekly practices 00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:08.460 that help us 00:25:08.460 --> 00:25:09.319 to think 00:25:09.319 --> 00:25:10.079 and act 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:10.779 more carefully 00:25:10.779 --> 00:25:11.659 with our time. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:12.220 They help us 00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:13.339 to structure our time 00:25:13.339 --> 00:25:13.819 so that we might 00:25:13.819 --> 00:25:14.579 be able to do so. 00:25:15.339 --> 00:25:15.980 And they provide 00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:16.639 the space 00:25:16.639 --> 00:25:17.359 that's required 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:18.639 so that we might 00:25:18.639 --> 00:25:19.419 be filled 00:25:19.419 --> 00:25:20.399 by the Holy Spirit 00:25:20.399 --> 00:25:21.319 to hear the voice 00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:21.819 of the Lord 00:25:21.819 --> 00:25:23.619 that God loves us 00:25:23.619 --> 00:25:24.679 and what he wants 00:25:24.679 --> 00:25:25.179 us to do 00:25:25.179 --> 00:25:26.099 that we might discern 00:25:26.099 --> 00:25:27.119 the will of the Lord. 00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:29.079 So the second practice 00:25:29.079 --> 00:25:30.099 is the daily office. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:31.659 This is the daily rhythm. 00:25:32.659 --> 00:25:33.259 The daily office 00:25:33.259 --> 00:25:33.759 is simply 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:34.899 set times of prayer 00:25:34.900 --> 00:25:36.019 set times 00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:36.900 of silence 00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:38.560 scripture reading 00:25:38.560 --> 00:25:40.240 that frame our day. 00:25:40.700 --> 00:25:41.560 Set times 00:25:41.560 --> 00:25:43.580 set apart 00:25:43.580 --> 00:25:44.240 so that we can 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:44.880 pay attention 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:45.519 to God. 00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:47.160 It's usually 00:25:47.160 --> 00:25:48.580 two or three times 00:25:48.580 --> 00:25:49.860 throughout our day. 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:50.320 It can be 00:25:50.320 --> 00:25:51.240 morning and evening 00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:51.940 or morning, 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:52.380 noon, 00:25:52.460 --> 00:25:53.000 and evening. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:54.500 And 00:25:54.500 --> 00:25:55.860 it's a 00:25:55.860 --> 00:25:56.800 great practice 00:25:56.800 --> 00:25:57.720 for structuring 00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:58.300 our day 00:25:58.300 --> 00:25:59.340 to orient us 00:25:59.340 --> 00:26:00.420 towards our day. 00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:02.259 For many of us, 00:26:02.300 --> 00:26:02.940 I suspect, 00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:03.980 we have a really 00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:04.560 bad habit 00:26:04.560 --> 00:26:05.380 of the first thing 00:26:05.380 --> 00:26:06.100 that we look at 00:26:06.100 --> 00:26:06.660 in the morning 00:26:06.660 --> 00:26:07.480 and the last thing 00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:08.019 that we look at 00:26:08.019 --> 00:26:08.320 at night 00:26:08.320 --> 00:26:08.900 is a screen. 00:26:09.340 --> 00:26:10.140 Checking our email, 00:26:10.620 --> 00:26:11.300 looking at the news, 00:26:11.380 --> 00:26:12.380 whatever it may be. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:14.560 And that's not a good habit. 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:16.240 That's a very bad habit. 00:26:16.900 --> 00:26:18.039 Perhaps the best 00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:19.180 and most strategic thing 00:26:19.180 --> 00:26:19.880 you can do 00:26:19.880 --> 00:26:21.120 every single day 00:26:21.120 --> 00:26:22.180 to resist the power 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:22.880 and the manipulation 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:23.720 of screens 00:26:23.720 --> 00:26:25.660 is the daily office. 00:26:26.080 --> 00:26:26.820 So in the morning, 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:28.540 commit to not looking 00:26:28.540 --> 00:26:29.080 at your screen 00:26:29.080 --> 00:26:29.840 before you look 00:26:29.840 --> 00:26:30.580 at the scriptures. 00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:32.580 And in the evening, 00:26:33.300 --> 00:26:34.060 plug your phone in 00:26:34.060 --> 00:26:35.380 an hour before you go to bed, 00:26:36.019 --> 00:26:36.680 put it to sleep, 00:26:36.860 --> 00:26:37.400 put it to rest, 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:38.420 put it in another room, 00:26:39.220 --> 00:26:40.340 and don't look at it again. 00:26:40.840 --> 00:26:41.779 Instead of doom scrolling 00:26:41.779 --> 00:26:42.779 right before you go to sleep, 00:26:43.019 --> 00:26:44.400 practice the daily examine, 00:26:44.840 --> 00:26:45.320 the practice 00:26:45.320 --> 00:26:46.259 that Pastor Tommy 00:26:46.259 --> 00:26:47.160 led us through, 00:26:47.259 --> 00:26:47.940 taught us about 00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:49.180 last Sunday. 00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:51.320 When we practice 00:26:51.320 --> 00:26:52.180 the daily office, 00:26:52.340 --> 00:26:53.240 we resist allowing 00:26:53.240 --> 00:26:54.000 the notifications 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:54.700 on our screen 00:26:54.700 --> 00:26:55.400 or our email 00:26:55.400 --> 00:26:56.800 or our appointments 00:26:56.800 --> 00:26:57.500 in our calendar 00:26:57.500 --> 00:26:58.680 to structure our day. 00:26:59.060 --> 00:27:00.259 We allow God's word 00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:01.100 and God's voice 00:27:01.100 --> 00:27:02.259 to structure our day. 00:27:03.320 --> 00:27:04.400 And the final practice, 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:05.740 we have fasting, 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:07.120 the daily office, 00:27:07.540 --> 00:27:08.840 and then the Sabbath. 00:27:09.060 --> 00:27:10.420 And this is our weekly rhythm. 00:27:11.380 --> 00:27:12.220 My favorite description 00:27:12.220 --> 00:27:12.800 of the Sabbath 00:27:12.800 --> 00:27:15.480 is from a theologian 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:16.480 named Marva Dawn. 00:27:16.580 --> 00:27:17.600 She describes the Sabbath 00:27:17.600 --> 00:27:19.720 as a royal waste of time. 00:27:20.320 --> 00:27:20.940 I love that. 00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:22.440 It's a day, 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:23.759 24-hour period, 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:24.759 set apart 00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:26.359 where we take a break 00:27:26.359 --> 00:27:28.079 from the grind 00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:28.839 of production 00:27:28.839 --> 00:27:30.220 and consumption. 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:32.059 It's a day set apart 00:27:32.059 --> 00:27:34.000 devoted to wasting time 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:34.980 with the king 00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:36.079 of the universe. 00:27:36.779 --> 00:27:37.559 And there's a movement 00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:38.379 to the Sabbath. 00:27:38.700 --> 00:27:39.079 The movement 00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:40.759 is stopping 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:42.480 and contemplation 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:43.359 and feasting. 00:27:43.420 --> 00:27:43.839 I want to talk 00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:44.339 a little bit 00:27:44.339 --> 00:27:45.279 about each one of these. 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:46.319 So, 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:47.579 Sabbath, 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:48.799 the word Shabbat 00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:50.019 means to cease 00:27:50.019 --> 00:27:50.879 or to stop. 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:51.300 So, 00:27:51.360 --> 00:27:52.200 the first movement 00:27:52.200 --> 00:27:53.620 for the Sabbath 00:27:53.620 --> 00:27:54.620 is stopping. 00:27:55.080 --> 00:27:55.720 As that relates 00:27:55.720 --> 00:27:56.860 to our screens, 00:27:57.240 --> 00:27:57.820 that just means 00:27:57.820 --> 00:27:59.180 turning off your phone. 00:27:59.320 --> 00:28:00.060 Spend a day 00:28:00.060 --> 00:28:00.720 where you're not 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:01.880 looking at your screen. 00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:03.340 Put it away 00:28:03.340 --> 00:28:03.920 for the whole day. 00:28:05.120 --> 00:28:06.460 And it's really helpful 00:28:06.460 --> 00:28:07.180 for Sabbath 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:08.160 to mark the time, 00:28:08.280 --> 00:28:08.840 both the beginning 00:28:08.840 --> 00:28:09.520 and the end, 00:28:09.600 --> 00:28:10.280 to set it apart. 00:28:10.820 --> 00:28:11.120 So, 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:11.900 what I like to do 00:28:11.900 --> 00:28:12.820 is to say a prayer 00:28:12.820 --> 00:28:14.460 to start the Sabbath. 00:28:14.860 --> 00:28:15.140 So, 00:28:15.220 --> 00:28:16.600 I'm entering into this day 00:28:16.600 --> 00:28:17.220 that's set apart 00:28:17.220 --> 00:28:18.140 and as it's ending, 00:28:18.560 --> 00:28:19.620 I like to say a prayer 00:28:19.620 --> 00:28:20.800 to wrap things up. 00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:21.840 Committing things 00:28:21.840 --> 00:28:22.340 to the Lord 00:28:22.340 --> 00:28:23.380 and then thanking the Lord 00:28:23.380 --> 00:28:24.360 for how he's met me 00:28:24.360 --> 00:28:25.500 in this period of time. 00:28:26.340 --> 00:28:26.560 So, 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:27.700 stop using the screen. 00:28:28.600 --> 00:28:29.400 Give it a rest. 00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:31.100 Sabbath is a day 00:28:31.100 --> 00:28:32.060 to say no. 00:28:32.300 --> 00:28:33.020 It's the same movement. 00:28:33.120 --> 00:28:33.780 We're saying no 00:28:33.780 --> 00:28:35.300 in order to say yes. 00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:36.320 The Sabbath is a day 00:28:36.320 --> 00:28:36.820 to say no 00:28:36.820 --> 00:28:37.820 but it's also a day 00:28:37.820 --> 00:28:38.800 of saying yes. 00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:41.280 The Sabbath is not a vacuum. 00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:42.100 It's not a day 00:28:42.100 --> 00:28:43.120 of just being sad 00:28:43.120 --> 00:28:43.840 and alone 00:28:43.840 --> 00:28:44.740 in a dark room. 00:28:45.220 --> 00:28:45.700 And this is where 00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:46.920 contemplation comes in. 00:28:46.980 --> 00:28:47.759 This is where we fill 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:48.440 ourselves up. 00:28:48.519 --> 00:28:49.579 We get off our screens 00:28:49.579 --> 00:28:51.059 and we don't just 00:28:51.059 --> 00:28:52.099 look at nothing. 00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:53.099 We get off our screens 00:28:53.099 --> 00:28:53.680 in order to get 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:54.539 into God's world, 00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:55.240 into creation 00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:56.259 and to get more deeply 00:28:56.259 --> 00:28:57.460 into God's word. 00:28:58.420 --> 00:28:59.319 We contemplate. 00:28:59.400 --> 00:28:59.819 We look. 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:01.099 We listen. 00:29:01.640 --> 00:29:03.099 We pay attention to God 00:29:03.099 --> 00:29:04.339 and we allow 00:29:04.339 --> 00:29:05.220 the tangled mess 00:29:05.220 --> 00:29:05.859 of our lives 00:29:05.859 --> 00:29:06.799 to be untangled. 00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:07.920 We allow God 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:08.960 to reorient 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:10.059 our priorities 00:29:10.059 --> 00:29:11.799 and our values. 00:29:12.660 --> 00:29:13.579 And the final movement 00:29:13.579 --> 00:29:15.299 of Sabbath keeping 00:29:15.299 --> 00:29:16.379 is feasting. 00:29:16.380 --> 00:29:17.520 We savor. 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:19.220 We enjoy. 00:29:19.560 --> 00:29:20.440 We celebrate. 00:29:20.840 --> 00:29:22.040 We embrace the things 00:29:22.040 --> 00:29:23.260 that are most life-giving 00:29:23.260 --> 00:29:25.320 and restore our humanity. 00:29:26.260 --> 00:29:27.420 So instead of binging 00:29:27.420 --> 00:29:29.080 a show on Netflix, 00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:30.640 maybe read a book 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:31.160 for pleasure. 00:29:31.640 --> 00:29:32.520 Maybe read some poetry. 00:29:33.520 --> 00:29:34.820 Instead of liking posts 00:29:34.820 --> 00:29:35.700 on social media 00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:36.620 from perfect strangers, 00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:38.060 invest, 00:29:38.540 --> 00:29:39.200 spend some time 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:40.040 in your most important 00:29:40.040 --> 00:29:40.660 relationships. 00:29:41.140 --> 00:29:42.200 That might require 00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:43.000 getting creative 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:43.940 in these times. 00:29:43.940 --> 00:29:45.440 go for a walk outside 00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:46.080 with a friend 00:29:46.080 --> 00:29:47.420 or write a letter 00:29:47.420 --> 00:29:48.779 or do something 00:29:48.779 --> 00:29:50.059 to serve or bless somebody 00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:51.240 in the community. 00:29:52.140 --> 00:29:53.140 Now there's much more 00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:53.779 to say about all 00:29:53.779 --> 00:29:54.420 these practices. 00:29:54.420 --> 00:29:55.160 We're just scratching 00:29:55.160 --> 00:29:55.779 the surface 00:29:55.779 --> 00:29:56.799 and we just looked 00:29:56.799 --> 00:29:57.700 at them through the angle 00:29:57.700 --> 00:29:58.880 of resisting 00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:00.120 the power of screens. 00:30:00.779 --> 00:30:02.200 Our hope this week 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:03.180 is that you'll spend 00:30:03.180 --> 00:30:03.880 some more time 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:04.980 working these things 00:30:04.980 --> 00:30:05.740 out more fully 00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:06.460 in the context 00:30:06.460 --> 00:30:07.240 of your core groups 00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:08.980 or your spiritual friendships. 00:30:10.059 --> 00:30:10.700 This morning, 00:30:10.759 --> 00:30:11.220 I want to close 00:30:11.220 --> 00:30:11.740 with a poem. 00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:13.680 A poem, poetry, 00:30:13.880 --> 00:30:15.579 is one of my favorite 00:30:15.579 --> 00:30:16.500 things to do 00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:17.480 on the Sabbath. 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:18.240 It's one of my 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:19.000 spiritual practices, 00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:19.559 actually. 00:30:20.259 --> 00:30:21.500 Because I found poetry 00:30:21.500 --> 00:30:22.380 to be one of the greatest 00:30:22.380 --> 00:30:23.700 antidotes to the flurry 00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:25.819 of Twitter hot takes 00:30:25.819 --> 00:30:26.980 and the relentless pace 00:30:26.980 --> 00:30:29.079 of the 24-7 news cycle. 00:30:30.220 --> 00:30:31.220 Reading good poetry, 00:30:31.319 --> 00:30:32.259 the practice of reading 00:30:32.259 --> 00:30:32.980 good poetry, 00:30:33.299 --> 00:30:35.740 is a slow and a quiet 00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:37.799 and a radical challenge 00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:38.779 to the harmful habits 00:30:38.779 --> 00:30:40.920 reinforced by our screens. 00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:42.460 The poem I'm going to read 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:43.620 is one of my favorite poems 00:30:43.620 --> 00:30:44.440 and it ties together 00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:45.500 so many of the themes 00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:46.380 that we've been exploring 00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:47.500 together this morning. 00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:49.559 It's a poem that invites us 00:30:49.559 --> 00:30:50.160 to think about 00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:51.759 how we spend our time 00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:53.039 and therefore 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:54.860 how we spend our lives. 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:55.620 The poem is 00:30:55.620 --> 00:30:56.480 The Summer Day 00:30:56.480 --> 00:30:57.579 by Mary Oliver. 00:30:58.299 --> 00:30:59.120 I'll end with this. 00:31:00.759 --> 00:31:01.779 Who made the world? 00:31:03.360 --> 00:31:04.779 Who made the swan 00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:05.700 and the black bear? 00:31:06.860 --> 00:31:08.299 Who made the grasshopper? 00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:10.240 This grasshopper, I mean. 00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:12.460 The one who has flung herself 00:31:12.460 --> 00:31:13.420 out of the grass. 00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:15.440 The one who is eating sugar 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:16.539 out of my hand. 00:31:17.220 --> 00:31:18.500 Who is moving her jaws 00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:19.539 back and forth 00:31:19.539 --> 00:31:21.519 instead of up and down. 00:31:22.259 --> 00:31:23.700 Who is gazing around 00:31:23.700 --> 00:31:24.519 with her enormous 00:31:24.519 --> 00:31:26.339 and complicated eyes. 00:31:27.480 --> 00:31:28.440 Now she lifts 00:31:28.440 --> 00:31:29.720 her pale forearms 00:31:29.720 --> 00:31:32.359 and thoroughly washes her face. 00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:35.259 Now she snaps her wings open 00:31:35.259 --> 00:31:36.359 and floats away. 00:31:37.720 --> 00:31:39.759 I don't know exactly 00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:41.039 what a prayer is. 00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:43.900 I do know how to pay attention. 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:47.079 How to fall down into the grass. 00:31:47.940 --> 00:31:49.960 How to kneel down in the grass. 00:31:50.920 --> 00:31:53.660 How to be idle and blessed. 00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:57.019 How to stroll through the fields, 00:31:57.359 --> 00:31:59.759 which is what I have been doing all day. 00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:01.819 Tell me, 00:32:01.980 --> 00:32:04.339 what else should I have done? 00:32:05.640 --> 00:32:08.180 Doesn't everything die at last 00:32:08.180 --> 00:32:09.420 and too soon? 00:32:10.759 --> 00:32:11.619 Tell me, 00:32:11.740 --> 00:32:13.539 what is it you plan to do 00:32:13.539 --> 00:32:14.819 with your one wild 00:32:14.819 --> 00:32:16.299 and precious life? 00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:18.059 Let's pray. 00:32:21.859 --> 00:32:22.420 Father, 00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:25.099 we thank you for speaking to us. 00:32:25.099 --> 00:32:25.659 Lord, 00:32:25.659 --> 00:32:27.939 we pray that you would help us 00:32:27.939 --> 00:32:30.119 to not only be hearers 00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:30.759 of your word, 00:32:30.879 --> 00:32:31.839 but to be doers. 00:32:33.919 --> 00:32:34.179 Lord, 00:32:34.199 --> 00:32:34.859 would you help us 00:32:34.859 --> 00:32:37.379 to reorient our lives, 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:38.500 restructure our lives, 00:32:38.659 --> 00:32:40.039 help us to make the best use 00:32:40.039 --> 00:32:40.659 of the time. 00:32:40.759 --> 00:32:40.879 Lord, 00:32:40.919 --> 00:32:41.559 again we pray, 00:32:42.399 --> 00:32:44.139 teach us to number our days 00:32:44.139 --> 00:32:45.859 that we may gain 00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:46.699 a heart of wisdom. 00:32:48.359 --> 00:32:49.719 We pray all these things, 00:32:49.819 --> 00:32:49.939 Lord, 00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:51.319 for our good, 00:32:51.399 --> 00:32:52.599 for the good of your world 00:32:52.599 --> 00:32:54.059 and for your glory. 00:32:55.099 --> 00:32:55.939 In Jesus' name, 00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:56.279 Amen.