Sermon Title: Silence in a world of noise
Scripture: Matthew 3:16-4:3

Our attention span has dropped from 12 sec in 2000 to 8 sec by 2015.

     “We pay continuous partial attention in an effort not to miss anything. It is an always-on, anywhere, anytime, any place behavior that involves an artificial sense of constant crisis. We are always on high alert when we pay continuous partial attention. It contributes to a stressful lifestyle, to operating in crisis management mode, and to a compromised ability to reflect, to make decisions, and to think creatively. In a 24/7, always-on world, continuous partial attention used as our dominant attention mode contributes to a feeling of overwhelm, over-stimulation and to a sense of being unfulfilled. We are so accessible, we’re inaccessible.” “Continual Partial Attention” 2019 - Linda Stone

This constant state of distraction and addiction is robbing us of the ability, the core essential human ability, to be present to other people, to ourselves and to God.

     “There are books to be read, landscapes to be walked; friends to be with; life to be fully lived…This new epidemic of distraction is our civilizations specific weakness. And it’s threat is not so much to our minds, even as they shape-shift under the pressure. The threat is to our souls. At this rate, if the noise does not relent, we might even forget we have any. If the churches came to understand that the greatest threat to faith today is not hedonism but distraction, perhaps they might begin to appeal anew to a frazzled digital generation.” “I used to be a human being” - New York Times; Andrew Sullivan

     “We are distracting ourselves into spiritual oblivion.” Ronald Rolheiser

There are 2 dimensions of silence that we need to practice.

I. External Silence.

     “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking. And he who restrains his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

II. Internal Silence.

     “Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.” “Celebration of Discipline” - Richard Foster

     “There is a difference between isolation and solitude. They may contain similar characteristics but in reality they are worlds apart. Solitude is a chosen separation for refining your soul. Isolation is what you crave when you neglect the first.” “Leading on Empty” - Pastor Wayne Cordeiro

Additional Notes:

Matthew 3:16-4:3
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”