When God Is Silent | Pastor Scott

hello hello friend thank you so much for

tuning in here at Free Life Chapel where

we help you discover and live the free

life in Christ my name is Coty and I'm

so glad that you're tuning in with us if

you ever find yourself in the central

Florida area come visit us we want to

connect with you face to face but until

then visit our website freelive

chapel.org to find out more about what's

happening at your church there's a

phenomenal message in store just for you

I hope you're encouraged any video

gamers in the place anybody enjoy

playing the video games where are you

don't be ashamed you can raise your hand

Closet video game like it's okay yeah

it's all good how many of you like if I

say what's your favorite video game you

would go all the way back to Miss

Pac-Man you your Pac-Man Miss

Pac-Man digdug

centipede wow

Galaga okay ready

pong that's back Atari days how y'all

remember the Atari days

like that that's all they had right I

was so excited when that came out um

yeah g gaming is different today now now

like like there's there's some there's

some Gamers that make sixf figure

incomes playing games they compete

around the world uh they've got these

Studios and these places set up uh all

around the world a friend of mine

actually runs these Gamers that go and

he Rec flies to different countries and

recruits these guys it is crazy what

these guys and girls uh what they make

playing games me I'm I'm just I'm just

like give me a little thing in my hand

that's all good with me uh but but

here's years ago we uh we had a video

game for Caleb uh I think it was Xbox

that he had and and it was uh Bruce Lee

and and and Caleb he worked on it for so

long he was playing it and playing it

playing it and one day he finally like

beat it like he went all the way through

the game and beat the thing and we were

like Hercules Hercules we were like so

proud of him so I went and I bought him

a trophy had a little karate guy on the

top of it and we got him a cake you know

and we came in and we were celebrating

cuz that was as big as it got in his

life that was two years ago go and it's

been so no no no no no no no I'm kidding

we celebrated and we we had a we had a

great time he made it a lot further than

what I could he was a young cat and he

was just already running the games a lot

better than I could uh but but here's

here's what I know about games here's

what I know okay so I'm not the gamer

but here's what I know like like there's

two ways to beat the game one is to take

your time and learn it and learn how to

move it and when not to step out and

when to stay behind the wall like

jumping things obac Les how to get

through how to get special coins how to

hit a power up all those things that's

all their time skills learning the game

and then there's another way to to to

beat the game and it's called cheat

codes and cheat codes are where you

basically just hack the game I me

there's some people that are really good

at hacking I can hack a game for you and

like they they drop a cheat code down in

there and now Mario no longer has to

jump the flowers he just runs right

through the flowers like he he just blls

it over now right and and he's got these

power ups hit sitting like crazy and

multiplied Millions dropping in like

Mario's Invincible he's taking on

enemies that he could never defeat on

his own because we got the cheat code

it's it's it's interesting because it's

that's really kind of like how life is

you see you can you can win by by

working by by taking your time by

dealing with it day in and day out and

learning it and skills you can win that

way or you can learn by cheat codes only

one of those is really the celebration

point is when you when you did it just

by

grinding and got through it but but your

life and my life are are like this video

game and then the way that it the way

that it looks is God introduced these

laws of nature like here in the very

beginning this is how the world and life

is going don't don't miss this this is

how the world and life is going to run

there's going to be weather there's

going to be rain and there's going to be

sun and I'm going to tell the sun when

to when to go in the air and come down

and when will this Cloud come in and

drop all that's going to happen and

because all that happens all the seed in

the ground is going to start producing

and now you're going to have crops now

you're going to have food oh and that's

going to be good because when the food

hits now all of a sudden the agriculture

begins to produce economy the economy

begins to grow and now there's industry

that's running and things are getting

better there and and with the industry

running now lifestyle is getting better

hey because now we're making some money

and we're able to trade and bar now now

our health is good and and like man like

have you you ever just hit a season in

life where life is

good you you ever had one of those

Seasons like dang I'm on top of it all

right now hey look at me like it's it's

nice when life is just running but

here's here's what I've learned when

when my life when my routine is blessed

when when it's all running it it feels

like daily life is just able to

run without

God like my life is running good and

it's not because I'm praying and seeking

like no life is good son came out paid

my bills running to the beach today life

is good and we can take on that we can

take on that perspective it's true but

here's the difference you've got the

laws of nature that running but when

crisis hits your

life all of a sudden you're reminded

that the laws of nature can't fix my

situation that just kicked in more rain

isn't going to help this more clouds

aren't going to be able to fix

this and and and then I'm suddenly

reminded that now I needed I need

rescuing because I need peace I need

hope I need strength I I I I need wisdom

on how to handle this situation I I'm

not sure how to get through this and all

these questions are hitting that are

outside of your routine and suddenly we

all realize

that God is running the world right not

nature it's not just the Sun the moon

the stars no no there's there's one who

instilled that that's actually run in

this world and so this brings us today

to this

conversation we can win this video game

of life in one of two

ways we can ask God to violate his laws

of nature and start throwing some cheat

codes and get the Red Sea to

part or get Jericho's walls to fall or

rain Mana Out of Heaven how you know if

it was up to us we would rain

Chick-fil-A nuggets out of heaven today

like like like just just watch what in

other words God perform a miracle Lord

send an angel and get them fired like if

if we could schedule this if we could

dial it up we just want God to to Super

inter uh intervene and just get in the

situation and fix it and then bust back

out again we want God to play in cheat

codes in our life fix it do it the way I

want that's what we begin to look for

and we and we reach for we love the

Miracles when they hit it's unexpected I

didn't see that coming God bring it but

there's also another way that that God

interacts and plays in our life it's not

only through cheat codes but God plays

inside the rules

also and it's inside the rules that he's

still helps us win but it's just not the

way we want the win it's not as fast as

we want it and we got to deal with some

stuff that we never wanted to deal with

but we can still get the win if we'll

just hold on now we don't have visible

Miracles now we don't have the sun

sitting still for three days so that God

can give us victory over an enemy that

there's nothing like that going on

there's no angel showing up to fix my

situation nothing like that it's just

time and more

work and

patience I'm still praying I'm learning

I'm dealing with

them who'd you just think of when I said

that no no don't don't ask today I I'm

I'm I'm

growing but I'm in the process of

winning and it's that word process that

we hate we want the product but it's the

process that we have to settle

into this really is the story of Esther

in the Bible in fact around the world

Judaism celebrated a minor festival

called purum p r i m and it it's it's

all taken from the story of Esther in

fact Jews around the world those who

practice and celebrate they're reading

the story of Esther this past week and

it's a big it's a big celebration it's

it's a lot of fun they they got noise

makers and they wear masks uh and and

I'll tell you why that in a minute it's

it's it's fun it's laughter when they're

reading the story and when they get to

the Nemesis in the story hymon they all

pull out noise makers and when they're

getting ready to do it they drowned his

name out by making all kinds of

Celebration noises so no one can hear

it's it's they make all kinds of

pastries little fruit filled pastries

it's it's a big celebration but but

here's here's the story of Esther here's

the story of PM and why it connects with

what we're talking about today you know

her as Esther her real name her original

name was

hadasa hadassa is her Jewish name well

what's a Jewish girl doing in in Persia

great question her family was taken

captive into the Babylonian captivity

years before and when she got into

Persia now here she is around in a

foreign land with foreign people in her

world and now this Babylonian uh this

Babylonian uh Empire has has allowed

people to begin to take up residence

they begin to allow the Jews to settle

in so she took on the name Esther which

was a Persian name during that time so

she's living in a foreign around foreign

people she takes on this name and and

while she's there the king of this

Providence is is crazy his wife's name

was vashy and vashy was a mess she was

on housewives for a couple of Seasons uh

but but vashy was a mess and she pulled

a prank she pulled a mess and and the

King banished her he ousted her said

you're out I'm done with you and he

kicked her out and so then the king

decided I'm going to get a new queen I'm

going to I'm going to put put it out to

the entire uh the entire region I'm

looking for a queen so they start

holding these pack pents they get down

to the finalist and they put the

finalist ladies just imagine this in

order to get ready for the final

competition to see who could be the

queen if they were chosen they had to go

through one year of spa

treatments can can you imagine pedicures

manicures like all all of that stuff

going on right get your edges snatched

like weave it in weave it out like I

just color it FL lift it up push it down

like like all that stuff that all that

all that Spanx like they they got all

that stuff going on right just get it

all just ready and then the day comes

and now the king steps out and he he's

choosing he chooses Esther he chooses

Esther there she she's the new Queen oh

my God that's amazing well while all

this is going on there's a guy in the

Kingdom his name is hmon hmon is nasty

he's tow up from the flow up he's a mess

and he hated the Jewish people he hated

them living in the province so he

tricked the king into signing a law that

all the Jews would be killed so hmon

starts building these Gallows to hang

and to kill all the Jews well Esther is

a Jewish

girl so she's watching all of this stuff

going on all this stuff is is happening

and and in the process of this Esther

learned what her role was with the King

she doesn't have the right just to barge

in the room and just give him a what for

she wasn't alive in 2025 it's all good

in 2025 but but back in these days it

wasn't that way and so she had to wait

and she had to be granted access by the

king in order to speak and to share her

heart on a topic that she wanted to

bring up especially of this nature and

so the Bible says that she's in this

place of praying and I don't know and

and but but she says I was made for such

a time as this I'm stepping in there I'm

going to approach the king and she does

puts her life on the line and makes the

king aware of what hmon had done the

king went crazy that he had been tricked

by hmon and so he reversed the law for

Esther to turn it all around and hmon

the guy who built the Gallows to kill

all of Esther's people he hung on his

own Gallows because the whole thing got

turned around and reversed Amazing Story

I love this but here's what's even

crazier in the entire Book of

Esther God's name is not mentioned one

time in fact

Ester her name in the Hebrew means

hidden or

concealed not

mentioned was God even

there did God

care did God see what was going

on God hmon lied to the

king God hmon is building

Gallows God this is Injustice this is

wrong it's it's a holocaust that is

being set up against the Jewish people

God where are you can can you imagine

watching The Gallows be built every day

and wondering where God is I'm here to

serve God with my life I'm here to do

things to please him but I'm watching

everything around that's going to

destroy everything that I love my

purpose for being here is is is is

where's the cheat C God fix it jump in

and stop it act like you never been

there something hits your family

something hits your body a doctor's

report that you don't like where's the

cheat Cod God change

it make nature work against itself stop

the situation we we we want God we

expect God to jump in when we see

Injustice when we see pain coming when

we see something that's outside of what

we believe is word speaks to us it

creates this this angst where's the

miracle where's the angels we need you

now but the truth is Esther still came

out

Victorious but just not in a way that we

like so was God

absent

No No in fact let me put it this way

never confuse God's Silence with his

absence just because you can't hear him

doesn't mean he's not there close

watching Friday

night Elizabeth brought the kids over to

our house Caleb was out running around

doing some foolish things with Ramone

they you know you turn those boys loose

there's no telling what's going to

happen but she brought the kids over and

and we were playing a game with tiia

she's a year and a half a year and nine

months excuse me she's running she she's

running through the kitchen and and she

was chasing Liz Liz was running from her

but have you know that Liz Liz wasn't

running from her Liz was playing with

her and even though Liz was ahead of her

andia's

coming those little legs she had them

things moving she was just jiggling and

bouncing everywhere it was

precious but Liz ran around the corner

so fast that toia stopped and was

looking she didn't know where she was I

knew where she was I had the cheat code

I knew where Mom was but Tia's lost

where' she go the one that I love I was

just playing with her and she just kind

of walking around like this just kind of

kind of looking and I'm going keep going

go get her go get her and toa's looking

at me and then she and she well that's

and she standing there and then all of a

sudden Liz said

toah she went and caught her you see

there's times that we're going with God

and he seems to slip outside of our view

and we wonder is he there or not and I

want you to know God's not running from

you God is there with you and he's

leading you into places you wouldn't

have gone without him so you're not by

yourself you're not absent even when

he's not talking he's aware of exactly

where you are Hebrews chap 13:5 says

this I will never fail you I will never

abandon you this is God's promise to you

that no matter how you feel about your

situation God is there would you tell

somebody God is with you God is with you

God is with you he's not dropped you

he's not walked away from you he's he's

not absent in your life we we we

understand that it was told that Jesus

would be called

Emmanuel God With Us that that that when

you said yes to Jesus and invited him

into your heart Holy Spirit was the one

who entered your life God living in you

you are the Temple of the Holy Spirit In

other words we can't get God off of your

life he is in you he is around you he's

watching over you even when he's silent

he's still there doing his best work in

your life we've just got to learn to

trust him at a different level but we

all go through what I call Holy

silence like hello hello hello hello

hello do you care care care

care I need you you you you you you you

ever felt like you were praying and your

prayers were bouncing off the ceiling

anybody ever been there besides me oh

you ain't lived long enough then because

I'm not the superch Christian I go

through those times where like come on

can you fix the situation there's things

that have caused holy silence I know in

my life I've rebelled against God

anybody ever done that please raise your

hand wiggle a foot or say yes you have

you've acted foolish like I have and

then he brings conviction to our life I

feel bad about that by the way

conviction is his voice conviction is

his drawing on your life so Rebellion I

I I I've gone through that and then

there's been times I feel like I've been

too busy to talk to God too busy to

pray until my routine stops working and

then I oh goth I needeth you nowwith

you're praying King James and you shake

your voice as if it's going to be Holier

if you do it that

way and then and then then the other

thing that that that creates holy

silence is you got some some ridiculous

voices in your life you got too many

crazy voices in your life you're all and

God's like I can't even get in I'm

trying to talk to you but I can't get

into your crew right there your py is

nasty and like so we we got to we got to

clear out some of the voices in our life

that's that's going on but but I want

you to understand there's another part

and I want to kind of hang out here for

just just a closing moments of this

message I believe the other reason that

we have holy silence in our life is to

grow us up yes sir it's for your

good his his silence in my life is for

my good his silence in your life is for

your good I know it sucketh but it's

good for us we want the product God

loves the

process and this is what we're talking

about

here

Elijah job John the

Baptist even even David had to talk

somebody is calling me at the at the

wrong time even David is having to

encourage himself and deal with the the

situation of his struggle that is going

through because God where are you I need

you now I mean can I remind you David

David is the dude who the Bible says

he's after God's Own

Heart watch this Psalm 139:12 David

Psalms 139:12

starts making declarations to himself he

says this even in darkness I cannot hide

from you to you the night shines as

bright as day Darkness and Light are the

same to you in other words when it's

dark for me it's not dark for you and

when I don't understand you still do and

when I have questions you always have

the answers and as long as I know that

you love me and you're for me and you're

with me even when I don't like the

situation I know everything is going to

be all right I need you to Pat yourself

on the chest and say I'm going to be all

right I'm going to be all right whatever

you're going through whatever made you

cry whatever made you question and

wonder if God even cares is he involved

does he know what's going on yes yes

with exclamation points yes but he's

using this for your you're good there's

a guy named Martin Luther who who

actually launched the Protestant

Reformation that this this man is an

author a theologian he has cleaned the

changed the landscape of so much in fact

why we're able to worship the way we are

today comes in and through what God did

through this man Martin Luther was a man

who knew God he he wrote about God he

educated us the church World on theology

to understand the foundations of God and

the story is told that one time Martin

was going through a really difficult

time in his life just a just what we

would call a a dark season where God was

silent a holy silence and his wife

Catherine saw him being discouraged over

quite some time and so she dressed in

black clothes like she was going to a

funeral she she put on her morning

clothes and and Luther asked her why are

you wearing that

today and she said someone has

died Luther looked back at her and said

who died

and his wife said it seems that God must

have

died because he was in such a dark place

that it was visible in his life he had

lost his Joy lost his hope lost his

picture of the

future and her little word picture her

sermonette awakened Martin Luther that

day that I need to see God for who he is

even when I don't understand him he's

still faith he's still good he's still

there can I remind you that God only

promised to never leave you not to

always be

visible in other words I'm with you even

when you don't see me I'm here and I'm

involved so the question comes to this

how do we handle holy silence how do we

move forward this number one let's just

hit it real practical I'm coming at you

just with my list if you're asking me

here's my message to you cuz I've been

through these moments I've questioned

God about a lot of stuff here's what I

would say number one

repent what do you mean repent I'm just

meaning this right here make sure that

our sin is not in the way of God being

able to speak into and direct our life I

I'm I'm speaking this out of as an

experienced sinner as an experienced guy

who can jack things up as an experienced

Rebel that I can push back on God and

what you do when you repent is you're

saying God I love you more than

everything and I want to repair this

relationship so if there's any

communication process that is off kilter

it's got to be on my end it's never on

your end so let me make sure that I'm in

order God forgive me James chapter 4

James 4 · chapter mention

says this come close to God and God will

come close to you if I take a one step

towards him he's taking two towards me

and even if he's not talking it's just

good to know that he's required to come

closer to my situation I love to start

that up with a p number number two

number two here's the second one choose

Faith over

feelings when you're in and it doesn't

and you don't feel spiritual and you

feel like you've been abandoned by God

that that that that man all of a sudden

you know God has turned off the Wi-Fi in

heaven and there's no messages getting

through it's a mess you've got to learn

to trust Faith over feelings in the

airline industry they have this thing

where you can learn to fly a plane and

you're rid to fly an airplane when good

visibility is there you can see where

you're going the clouds are moved you

can fly around them you can see well but

then there's another level in the

aeronautic industry called instrument

rating that you get you you you get

educated on the level of I can fly This

Plane even if I can't see the future I

can't see what's in front of me it's

dark it's a there's a storm going on the

clouds are thick you can't see through

it and so what this level of rating does

is I learn to read the the the the the

instruments that are right in front of

me I'm not looking out the window

because looking out the window shows me

nothing I've got to read what's in front

of me and Trust what the instruments are

telling me where I am because what can

happen in those moments when you're

flying and you get into a storm and it's

dark outside you can see nothing you can

catch vertigo and actually think that

you're going up when you're going down

you can't tell your equilibrium is off

and you can go so Twisted you can cause

a radical crash and the way that you

come out of that is to trust what the

instruments say don't trust what you see

you got to trust what the instrument say

this is why the Bible tells us in in 2

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 5 that we walk by

faith and not by sight just like a pilot

has to fly by faith and not by sight I

got to trust what the instruments say

ladies and gentlemen you got to get a

grip on this word and I do not let it go

when I understand the situation when I

don't when I feel like it's not working

or when I feel like it is working I've

got to know what God's word says and

hold on tight for the ride knowing that

this is the only way to come through

what I'm facing in my life we need it in

our world you see God's silence as I

mentioned before is this spiritual

growth

curriculum he goes silent to help us

this holy silence you know what it does

it creates a conflict between my

soul and my spirit watch this don't miss

this I got this conflict happening in

here my soul is my mind will and

emotions it's my feelings it's what I

think my spirit is where my faith and

trust is in God watch this so when I hit

a situation in life that I don't like

because God's silence is there and it's

difficult and I see The Gallows being

built my soul starts going where is our

God now

right and my spirit on this side is

going to I'm going to bust you in your

mouth you bring that up again and all of

a sudden your soul is pushed back yeah

no but no but is he not going to show up

where's the miracle why is he letting

that happen if he really loved

us and now your spirit is over here and

starting to push back no no he said he

would never leave us nor forsake us but

go with us all the way yeah but it ain't

looking good right now because you know

what the doctor support was and they

ain't giv this like they want to do this

and that like if go where's the Healer

Now where's that is he a miracle worker

or not does he really love does he

really care because if he does and now

you've got this battle going on inside

of who you are the conflict that was

brought about because of the weight

because God choosing to work inside of

time instead of throwing these cheat

codes and these hacks on your life he's

saying hold baby just trust me hang in

there don't let go let your spirit trust

me when you're Soul can't understand me

hold on for the ride because I'm going

to bring you out but I'm trying to grow

you up the goal is not just to get you

to an end product the goal is to make

you something you never were before this

whole thing kicked in and and that is

exactly what he's doing he's stripping

feelings out of your faith oh you need

to hear this right now because there's

going to be some times in your life when

the excitement of serving Jesus is not

there the way it used to be and you're

having to push to sing the songs on

Sunday morning and you're having a push

to go to church and people ask if you're

a Christian because they're not sure

about how you're thinking and how you're

talking there are times when the

feelings exit and all you have left is I

confess T him and I know what his word

says and you got to hold on to that baby

because let me tell you something the

moment you pass that and you come out

the other side and it you realize that

I'm not living him for him or serving

him based on my feelings but based on

what I know that ladies and gentlemen is

another level of growth that you will

never step to any other way than being

brought to the edge of losing it all

only to see him come through at the last

minute you got to hold on for the Pride

you got to trust him in the

process Psalm 43:5 David is speaking to

Psalms 43:5

himself anybody ever speak to yourself

anybody ever answer yourself yeah good

okay if it goes any further than that

they had medication all right so just

just got to stop it right there Psalm

Psalms 43:5

43:5 says this listen to David talking

to himself why are you depressed oh

[Music]

my where is your god David's talking to

this one why are you depressed

what's wrong with you I'm going to throw

punch you right here he's he's pushing

back why are you

upset wait for God read this for I will

again give thanks to my God for his

saving intervention he's bringing me out

you've got to make sure your spirit is

stronger than your feelings my faith is

greater than my feelings this is not a

feeling based experience salvation is

wonderful and when feelings couped with

it it's amazing I love it and there's

days that I experience I feel the

presence of God I feel the joy of God I

feel the smile of Heaven that's

wonderful and we need that this is a

relationship but there are days when

you're not feeling it and you just got

to know a thing or two you got to just

settle for the thing that's why Paul

said I know in whom I have believed even

when I can't see him even when I can't

feel him I know what the Bible says

about him and that is good enough for me

Faith isn't built on how I feel it's

built on what I

know Proverbs 28:6 says this those who

Proverbs 28:6

trust their own Insight are foolish but

anyone who walks in wisdom is

safe you should never say everything

that you think

I'm pausing for effect right there

please let that settle

in you ain't got to say everything that

comes to your mind please don't do that

and please don't believe everything you

think this is what this is what the word

the Bible says if you do you a

fool and destruction is on the way

ladies and gentlemen you can you have to

understand feelings are a great

accessory but a horrible essential right

so good

you can't run your marriage based on

feelings Cindy can she loves me like

that but but there's days there's days

that you like I said I

do and I'm going to keep doing it and

it's not because it feels great it's not

because you got all this Euphoria no no

no I'm I'm making a decision today how

you have kids

I know you love them little Rugrats I

know and you post some beautiful

pictures on Instagram but about 7

minutes after that picture posted you

were ready to send them back to see

Jesus you know things happen in life you

know things happen in life where the

feelings do not match up I love them I

love them but right now I don't like

them it it's the same with your money

you can't run your money on feelings if

you do we have a program that we can

help you with that you you can't do that

you can't run it that way you can't

parent that you can't run your career

that way you cannot decide tomorrow

y'all all y'all who are supposed to be

at work you can't wake up and let your

feelings decide if you're going to go to

work tomorrow you can't do that you can

call it in slick only a few days after

that after that it's going

downhill you just we can't then what

makes us think if you can't do with your

marriage parenting money career then why

do we run our faith that way too

right my faith requires me to stand on

what I know not what I feel

in other words when you can't see God's

hand trust his

heart because he's

there number three how do we handle holy

silence very quickly read God's

word re read read God's word God's

silence drives us back to his word it it

it pushes us back to I need to see what

he says again and bring that life if

he's not calling to talk to me today

then I'm just going to read some of his

letters he sent me before but I'm going

to hear from him one way or the other

I've got some of send these cards that

she's given me for Valentine's Day for

my birthday I got some that I I carry in

my briefcase with me and every so often

I'll pull those cards back out and when

I read those it's as if she is the one

that's talking to me again even though

she does more underlining in the cards

than anything but but she still it's

it's it's wonderful when I see that like

oh deto and all and and and and it

speaks back to my heart again because

it's not that I had her on the phone

it's just that I was able to read what

she said before when you open up the

Bible and you begin to read God's PR

promises this is his word the Bible says

in the beginning was the word and the

Word was with God and the Word was God

that is Jesus Jesus is the Living Word

the logos when you read this word you

are reading the voice and the mouth the

text out coming out of God's mouth it is

Jesus you are reading him he is the one

that's alive you can't read this word

without reading Jesus and without Jesus

speaking back to you open the Bible I

know it doesn't Inspire when you're in

times of holy silence but it still

strengthens your life and turns you back

towards W him so when you're in a dark

season and don't know where to go we go

back to Psalm 11915 your word is a lamp

for my feet and a light to my path I'm

able to still move even when I can't

seem to find God I can still keep

advancing in my life because God's word

is close is leading is guiding my

life These Quiet storms hit all of

us this holy silence hits all of us

the fourth thing that I would say is

this in order to come out of it you need

some holy

conversations what do you mean by holy

conversations well let's go to the

obvious one first there's only two keep

talking to

God well I don't feel like he's talking

back leave him a

voicemail would you please talk to him

you know what happens when you talk to

God you keep him active you keep him

real in your life ladies and gentlemen

can I just tell you something you can't

use your silent treatment against God

and manipulate anything out of

him I tried it it don't

work he can Outlast your silent

treatment I promise you that a that

ain't ain't good that ain't good just

open

up I know you're not talking right now

but I want you to know that I love

you and I believe that you're close and

how much I would love to feel your

presence and your leading to know that

you're fully involved and see some

things happen but you know what

even if no no cheat codes hit my life

and I don't see that I know you love me

and I know you're faithful I gave you my

life and so I'm in your hands and so

since my life is on your resume my life

is on your

reputation I have the full capacity to

trust that it's going to be all right

I'm leaning on you today have God

conversations but the second one is this

you need some holy conversations with

some other people that you can have holy

conversations with that's why you got to

get the right people in your life who

can talk to you about how good God is

when you ain't seeing him anywhere I

wish God would talk to me well let me

remind you God never talks during a test

that's because teachers never talk

during a test and so if you're going

through a silence right now is he's

building something in you he's

developing something in you and he's

going to bring you out the other side

but he's right by your side I don't know

about y'all when I was in school and my

teacher said no talking and a test was

going on sometimes she was standing

right over my shoulder looking right

down at my paper I promise you his

presence is close even when he's not

talking he's there but this is what's

going to advance your life but we need

these holy conversations I need my

brothers I need I need to be able to

have this conversation with Cindy I need

some people in my life that can remind

me of God's faithfulness and when I

don't see him moving in my life to know

he's moving in somebody's life it brings

a hope it brings a strength back to me

and it strengthens my view on who God is

I need to bring him close talk about his

faithfulness talk about his goodness

remember who what he did for you you

last year remember what he brought you

through when you were 10 years old

remember how the Miracles hit and the

cheat codes were happening you be REM

remind yourself through these holy

conversations that's why we need each

other Hebrews chapter 10 24:25 says this

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

let us think of ways to motivate one

another to acts of love and good works

and let us not neglect our meeting

together as some people do but encourage

one another especially now that the day

of his return turning is Drawing Near we

need each other in our lives you can't

do this alone you can't do this isolated

this is why we have Community this is

why we have Fellowship this is what the

lobby is about that's what Aroma is

about we need to hang together that's

what life groups are about we need

Community to get through these moments

in

life would you stand to your feet

[Music]

please God has a purpose to his

silence he's not playing with you he's

not toying with

you he's right by your side and walking

you through this

together some of you today are in a real

struggle because you feel like God's not

listening to your

prayers you feel

alone like I don't even I don't even

know what his voice would sound like

Scott I'm not even sure what that looks

like I'm not telling you we have these

audible things going on in our head I'm

not saying that at all we have these

these impressions these leadings these

these urges that we really feel like are

different than just another idea and it

lines up with God's word and it pushes

us forward but but we we need we need to

know that he's aware of where we are and

I'm just telling you according to his

word he's aware and this that you're

going through is on purpose and what's

going to come out the other side is only

going to make you better and stronger

just hold on for the

ride I was in Budapest hungry several

years ago on a on a missions trip and I

had a schedule in front of me because I

had to catch I was riding public transit

going to different locations and I'm

standing on the on the street corner I

I'm looking at this and I'm in a foreign

country so I'm just kind of a little bit

sketchy about my ability like am I going

to get the right train and which one is

it and I okay I'm pretty sure I need

this train and it's supposed to be here

at this time but the Train's not here

and it wasn't like real late but I was

like hyper on the edge and so in order

to see if if it was coming

I'm on the I'm on the sidewalk and I'm

looking out I said train it was it was

the bus that was coming I'm leaning out

looking for the bus coming down the

road as if me leaning and looking was

going to make it come

faster like you're not going to be able

to miss it Scott if the bus is coming

it's going to be there but I want you to

notice something I leaned out and looked

for it I didn't go ain't no bus

here when you're in a situation where

you're wondering where God is lean into

him don't turn and walk away from him

he's going to be on time he's going to

be faithful he's coming just when he's

supposed to come but you got to hold

your ground stand your ground until that

moment comes and when it does he will

make your world spin the same way Esther

spun around and the Very enemy that's

built things to destroy you the Bible

says no weapon formed against you will

prosper and every tongue that rises

against you in judgment it shall be

condemned stand your ground let the Lord

fight your battles even when I don't

hear him he's active in my life he loves

me he's faithful he's growing me I've

got to quiet the conflict here learn to

trust him and know everything is going

to be all right father I pray for my

friends in this room today that are in a

struggle they're in a fight they're in a

fight with

themselves the questions bouncing in

their head dealing with the Holy silence

that's happening wondering if you're

there wondering if you care wondering if

you hear and God today I thank you that

your word speaks to us when we're not

feeling a real leading by your voice or

a a a supernatural leading that that we

can say man the cheat code hit the

miracle happened something happened

there that no one can explain God even

when those times are not coming we know

you're still here and God I pray for my

friends that are in that place right now

they're walking through the silence but

they've got a handful of you and they

refuse to walk away help us God to lean

into who you are not to turn and walk

away but step closer to you to open your

word to bring friends around to start

holy conversations to trust you to open

our heart and remove everything that's

in your way but God I ask you to come in

and we declare your word we speak your

promises we hold on to that thing called

hope because it's what's going to carry

us through God touch my friends today

lift them encourage moms and dads and

single parents and business owners those

who are going through a sickness in

their body right now God touch them I

pray God you would encourage and From

the Inside Out do a work in us that Lord

even when the circumstances don't change

once my heart shifts I know everything

is going to be all right we trust you we

lean into to you today do what only you

can do in Jesus name amen amen amen did

I or did I not say you were going to be

encouraged yeah feel free to check out

our website freif chapel.org for more

encouraging messages until then I hope

you have a great day