Connecting Deeply: Shifting Perspectives to God
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we delved into the theme of "Interconnected," focusing on how we can connect more deeply with God, ourselves, and others. We explored Psalm 121, a Psalm of Ascent, which serves as a reminder of God's constant protection and guidance. The psalmist begins by lifting his eyes to the mountains, asking where his help comes from, and then affirming that his help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. This act of lifting one's eyes symbolizes a shift in posture and perspective, essential for connecting with God.
We discussed the importance of shifting our physical and mental posture to better receive God's guidance. Often, our physical stance can reflect our mental state, and by consciously changing our posture, we can open ourselves up to God's presence. Similarly, shifting our gaze or attention from our immediate problems to God's promises can transform our outlook and spiritual health.
The sermon emphasized that connecting with God is not as complex as we often make it. It's about consistently lifting our eyes to Him, focusing on His promises, and allowing Him to guide and guard us. This simple yet profound act can bring peace, contentment, and a sense of being held together, even when life feels chaotic.
We also touched on the importance of making our faith public through actions like baptism, which symbolizes our inner transformation and commitment to follow Jesus. The key takeaway is that our primary responsibility is to look to Jesus, who will then guide us and help us navigate life's challenges.
### Key Takeaways
1. Shift Your Posture: Our physical and mental postures significantly impact our ability to connect with God. By consciously changing our stance—both physically and mentally—we open ourselves up to receive God's guidance and presence. This simple act can transform our spiritual and emotional state. [08:02]
2. Focus Your Attention: What we pay attention to shapes our mindset and spiritual health. Shifting our gaze from immediate problems to God's promises can bring hope and clarity. This act of looking up to God, rather than focusing on our struggles, allows us to connect more deeply with Him. [14:12]
3. Elevate Your Perspective: Lifting our eyes to the mountains symbolizes gaining a higher perspective. By looking beyond our immediate circumstances and focusing on God's eternal promises, we can find hope and direction. This elevated perspective helps us see the bigger picture and trust in God's plan. [21:22]
4. Consistent Connection: Regularly reminding ourselves of God's promises, as the psalmist did, helps us stay connected to Him. This consistent act of lifting our eyes to God, even in difficult times, reinforces our faith and trust in His guidance and protection. [06:00]
5. Public Declaration of Faith: Making our faith public through actions like baptism is a powerful way to solidify our commitment to God. It symbolizes our inner transformation and willingness to follow Jesus, whatever that means for the rest of our lives. This public declaration strengthens our connection with God and the community. [24:20]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[00:41] - Introduction to Interconnected Series
[01:24] - The Goal of Interconnected
[02:03] - Connecting with God
[03:00] - The Complexity of Connection
[03:33] - Psalm 121 Reading
[04:45] - The Psalms of Ascent
[05:23] - The Rhetorical Question
[06:00] - The Pilgrimage Context
[07:16] - Scholars' Interpretations
[08:02] - Shift Your Posture
[09:06] - The Impact of Posture
[10:39] - Shifting Your Position
[13:39] - Shift Your Attention
[14:12] - The Power of Perspective
[18:08] - The Solution to Problems
[21:22] - Elevate Your Perspective
[24:20] - Public Declaration of Faith
[26:57] - Fixing Your Eyes on Jesus
[29:24] - The Simplicity of Looking Up
[31:00] - The Character of God
[32:49] - Celebrating New Faith
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Interconnected"
#### Bible Reading
- Psalm 121:1-8: "I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does the psalmist do at the beginning of Psalm 121, and what question does he ask? ([04:12])
2. According to Psalm 121, what are some of the ways God protects and watches over us? ([04:45])
3. In the sermon, what physical action does the pastor suggest can help us connect with God? ([08:02])
4. How does the pastor describe the impact of our physical posture on our spiritual state? ([08:30])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does the psalmist lift his eyes to the mountains, and what does this symbolize in the context of connecting with God? ([04:12])
2. How does shifting our physical posture relate to our mental and spiritual state according to the sermon? ([08:02])
3. What does the pastor mean when he says that connecting with God is not as complex as we often make it? ([03:00])
4. How does the act of making our faith public, such as through baptism, strengthen our connection with God and the community? ([24:20])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt disconnected from God. How might shifting your physical posture have helped you in that moment? ([08:02])
2. What immediate problems are you currently facing that you need to shift your attention away from to focus on God's promises? ([14:12])
3. How can you consistently remind yourself of God's promises, especially during difficult times? What practical steps can you take? ([06:00])
4. Have you ever made a public declaration of your faith, such as through baptism? If not, what is holding you back? If yes, how did it impact your spiritual journey? ([24:20])
5. Identify one area in your life where you need to elevate your perspective. How can you start looking beyond your immediate circumstances to focus on God's eternal promises? ([21:22])
6. Think about your daily routine. What small changes can you make to ensure you are consistently lifting your eyes to God throughout the day? ([03:33])
7. How can you support others in your small group or community to shift their posture and focus their attention on God? What specific actions can you take this week? ([08:02])
Devotional
Day 1: Shift Your Posture
Our physical and mental postures significantly impact our ability to connect with God. By consciously changing our stance—both physically and mentally—we open ourselves up to receive God's guidance and presence. This simple act can transform our spiritual and emotional state. Often, our physical stance can reflect our mental state, and by consciously changing our posture, we can open ourselves up to God's presence. Similarly, shifting our gaze or attention from our immediate problems to God's promises can transform our outlook and spiritual health. [08:02]
Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV): "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."
Reflection: Think about your current physical and mental posture. How can you change your stance today to better receive God's guidance and presence?
Day 2: Focus Your Attention
What we pay attention to shapes our mindset and spiritual health. Shifting our gaze from immediate problems to God's promises can bring hope and clarity. This act of looking up to God, rather than focusing on our struggles, allows us to connect more deeply with Him. By focusing on God's promises, we can transform our outlook and spiritual health, finding peace and contentment even in the midst of chaos. [14:12]
Colossians 3:2 (ESV): "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."
Reflection: Identify one immediate problem that has been consuming your attention. How can you shift your focus to God's promises today?
Day 3: Elevate Your Perspective
Lifting our eyes to the mountains symbolizes gaining a higher perspective. By looking beyond our immediate circumstances and focusing on God's eternal promises, we can find hope and direction. This elevated perspective helps us see the bigger picture and trust in God's plan. By consistently lifting our eyes to God, we can reinforce our faith and trust in His guidance and protection. [21:22]
Isaiah 40:26 (ESV): "Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, not one is missing."
Reflection: What immediate circumstance is clouding your perspective? How can you elevate your view to see God's bigger picture today?
Day 4: Consistent Connection
Regularly reminding ourselves of God's promises, as the psalmist did, helps us stay connected to Him. This consistent act of lifting our eyes to God, even in difficult times, reinforces our faith and trust in His guidance and protection. By making a habit of focusing on God's promises, we can maintain a strong connection with Him and find peace and contentment in our daily lives. [06:00]
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."
Reflection: How can you create a daily habit of reminding yourself of God's promises? What specific action can you take today to reinforce this habit?
Day 5: Public Declaration of Faith
Making our faith public through actions like baptism is a powerful way to solidify our commitment to God. It symbolizes our inner transformation and willingness to follow Jesus, whatever that means for the rest of our lives. This public declaration strengthens our connection with God and the community, reinforcing our faith and commitment to His guidance and protection. [24:20]
Matthew 10:32-33 (ESV): "So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."
Reflection: Have you made a public declaration of your faith? If not, what steps can you take to do so? If you have, how can you continue to live out this declaration in your daily life?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "The hope of Interconnected is for us to have the right things in our lives and in our minds and in our relationships so that we would feel at the end of the day, not like we did it all right, but we feel all right. We feel peace. We feel calm. We feel content." [01:24] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "There are nuances to how you can connect with God. And the farther you go into your relationship with God, you're going to understand those. However, it's not as complex as we often make it. And so what I want to do today is utilizing Psalm, Psalm 121. I want to talk to you about a simple way that you can live your life and regularly connect with your Creator." [03:33] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "If you can lift up, shift your attention, and then focus on things above. He says, I lift my eyes to the mountains. I lift my eyes to the hills. Now, my wife and I and a couple other people, we went to Sedona this past weekend. And we did a hike yesterday. It wasn't a hard hike. I intentionally chose. It was a pretty easy flat hike because for some reason, every time I choose a hard hike, someone's like, you took us on a dangerous route." [18:44] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The reality is all you have to do is lift your eyes to the Savior where your help comes from. And he will guard you and keep you for your entire life. And so what do I tell people who are ready to make their faith public? What do I tell people who trust in Jesus for the first time? I don't tell them stop sinning. I tell them to ask forgiveness of their sin." [25:22] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And in the prayer I say, I commit to follow Jesus for the rest of my life. And this is crucial, whatever that means. So what am I inviting you into? I'm inviting you to fix your eyes on Jesus, to lift your eyes to him that he would guard you and keep you. And keep doing it." [26:23] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Many of us, the struggle isn't that we don't know how to do it. It's that we don't regularly remind ourselves. In fact, this psalm was one that pilgrims in the ancient world when they're traveling to and from different places, they would recite this psalm. I lift my eyes to the hills and the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." [06:00] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "I want to talk to you, I want to talk to you about posture and position. I know he's talking about his eyes. We'll get to the eyes in a second. But I wanna, I think the Lord stopped me here because so often many of us fail to apprehend the nature of God because we have the wrong posture. I told you when you came in here a second ago during the welcome, and I did it last week too, I said, lean in, right?" [08:02] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "What you pay attention to will actually have a significant impact on the way that you live your life. The reason we don't connect with God very often is because we don't know God. Because not only are we in a weird funk or a position that makes it hard to connect with God. Like I'm one of those who struggles if I'm laying in my bed reading the Bible to stay awake. I have to shift my position in order to connect with God." [16:53] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "If you can elevate your perspective, it'll give you perspective. It'll give you a vision. It'll give you the big picture. And so that's what I love about this psalm. In one little verse, or one half of a verse, he says, I lift my eyes to the hills. This is a memory verse for ancient Judaism. It should be a lifestyle choice for us to lift my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from God." [22:25] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And so what do I tell people who are ready to make their faith public? What do I tell people who trust in Jesus for the first time? I don't tell them stop sinning. I tell them to ask forgiveness of their sin. I don't tell them to stop cussing. They probably should watch their mouth a little bit. You know what I'm saying? Like your parents taught you to stop doing that. Use good language, edifying speech." [25:56] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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