When We Should Stay Silent

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.879 So Jesus knew when to feed the mop, stir up the mob, leave 2 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:08.189 the mob and stay silent before the mob. And my prayer is and hopefully 3 00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:12.150 this podcast you guys will be praying through like Lord, when do I keep 4 00:00:12.189 --> 00:00:18.149 my mouth shut? I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours. 5 00:00:18.469 --> 00:00:21.940 Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast. This episode we're going to 6 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:25.780 talk about silence, when to stay silent, in the wisdom that God's work 7 00:00:25.859 --> 00:00:29.899 gives us of when to keep our mouth shut. So stay too. I 8 00:00:30.100 --> 00:00:39.490 am yours. Send Me Lord, Send Me Lord. I felt show passish, 9 00:00:40.570 --> 00:00:50.640 touch your heart. Use. Welcome to the Gospel centered pro life podcast. 10 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:55.240 We appreciate you guys listening and hope that these podcasts are a blessing to 11 00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:00.840 you. This podcast is going to cover maybe something we've never covered before and 12 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.950 something that we typically discourage people from. That's R actually unusual listening. It 13 00:01:07.189 --> 00:01:12.549 is because primarily we're pushing proverbs. Thirty one versus eight and nine right, 14 00:01:12.909 --> 00:01:17.150 open your mouth for the speechless. Open your mouth. Guess. Yes, 15 00:01:17.269 --> 00:01:19.019 he's got to open our mouth and speak on behalf of those I can't speak 16 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:26.060 for themselves, but this podcast is going to be talking about silence. So 17 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:32.969 for our silence podcast, let's have a moment of silence. Okay, that's 18 00:01:33.010 --> 00:01:36.409 a very hard to do really, you know what, being silent and some 19 00:01:36.890 --> 00:01:40.129 for some people, like for me, it's actually harder, yeah, than 20 00:01:40.329 --> 00:01:42.209 speaking. And I and so this, this is a good podcast for me, 21 00:01:42.290 --> 00:01:48.280 because there are times when we really need to be silent and we're not, 22 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:52.519 and that can be destructive. Yeah, it can be destructive. It 23 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:57.200 can be destructive to what our goal is, if our goal is to bring 24 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.120 the Gospel and change hearts and minds about abortion, it can be destructive to 25 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:02.989 that end, believe it or not, but also can be destructive for you. 26 00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:07.390 Well, I give you don't know when to keep your mouth shut, 27 00:02:07.310 --> 00:02:13.990 then it could cause you some even the potentially physical injury. Well, see, 28 00:02:14.110 --> 00:02:17.020 now that's the interesting thing is is this, this whole podcast, kind 29 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:23.379 of developed because I have vocal cord to strain and I've had it for a 30 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:28.780 long time and it's slowly, slowly getting better, but very slowly, and 31 00:02:28.979 --> 00:02:32.889 I have been forced to be silent and I've had to be very careful when 32 00:02:32.930 --> 00:02:37.530 I speak, who I speak to. I have to really be kind of 33 00:02:37.650 --> 00:02:42.969 stinchy with my words. And that is a brand new experience to me. 34 00:02:43.449 --> 00:02:47.919 Whether God brought this on or not, who knows. I'll find out when 35 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:53.240 I get to heaven, but it has been a valuable experience in some ways. 36 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:58.199 We can certainly teaching some stuff through the trials and tribulations of life. 37 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:01.750 Life. Yeah, and you've learned, I've learned, actually, probably a 38 00:03:01.789 --> 00:03:06.949 few times from almost getting my lights punched out right, the keep my mouth 39 00:03:07.069 --> 00:03:12.229 shut. You know, there are some practical principles that have to do insidewalk 40 00:03:12.310 --> 00:03:16.180 counseling. Yeah, that that we can apply that God's word gives us. 41 00:03:16.939 --> 00:03:22.259 I mean, I tell people a proverb a day keeps the flesh at bay. 42 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:25.780 Yeah, it is our past rise up. Yeah, and there are 43 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:30.490 things I've been confronted with and some of those will share with you guys that 44 00:03:30.530 --> 00:03:35.009 are listening in the proverbs as I'm reading through their thirty one proverbs. So 45 00:03:35.129 --> 00:03:38.330 that gives you in a month with thirty one days, that gives you one 46 00:03:38.370 --> 00:03:40.560 to read, one chapter to read every day. Right, and those months 47 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:45.199 where there's only thirty days or twenty eight days, maybe you could read two 48 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:46.280 a day, you could read to a day, you could double up and 49 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:53.759 it will be a blessing. So one of those proverbs is in line with 50 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:57.189 our first point here. We got we got six points, six times breaking 51 00:03:57.469 --> 00:04:00.310 times for basically when to be silent. Yeah, that's generally six times the 52 00:04:00.469 --> 00:04:03.990 period mouth shut. It's right, when silences is golden. So we're going 53 00:04:04.030 --> 00:04:09.469 to touch on those. But this first one is what's your first point there? 54 00:04:09.750 --> 00:04:14.819 Well, the first point is be silent to reduce conflict, to reduce 55 00:04:14.979 --> 00:04:19.620 conflict. Yeah, now, understand, guys. Obviously our default position out 56 00:04:19.620 --> 00:04:24.649 there on the on the sidewalk in front of an abortion clinic is to open 57 00:04:24.730 --> 00:04:30.329 our mouth for the speechless. Yeah, when in doubt, call out right. 58 00:04:30.449 --> 00:04:33.329 As a matter of fact, we are very, very stern and strict 59 00:04:33.610 --> 00:04:40.639 training new volunteers. Every woman going into that abortion clinic needs to be addressed, 60 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:45.000 and that's certainly biblical. Not only proverbs thirty one, eight through nine, 61 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:49.079 but Ezekiel three, eighteen to nineteen, which, in paraphrasing, just 62 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:53.670 says if you're silent, if you don't warn someone of their sin, you 63 00:04:53.790 --> 00:04:59.269 are guilty, yeah, of their blood. Yeah, and and so we 64 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:03.389 we were told throughout the Bible that we are to speak. So we're not 65 00:05:03.430 --> 00:05:08.579 saying disregard that right. Saying that there are times in your speaking that you 66 00:05:08.740 --> 00:05:11.899 really need to take a pause. Absolutely, and there are times when you 67 00:05:11.939 --> 00:05:15.779 need to keep your mouth shut in confrontation. Listen, sidewall counseling ministry, 68 00:05:15.660 --> 00:05:20.339 Ministry, even in a pregnancy center. This, this ministry, can be 69 00:05:20.529 --> 00:05:25.209 volatile. Yes, and no matter how nice and sweet you could be, 70 00:05:25.209 --> 00:05:29.250 a sweet little grandmall praying in front of the abortion clinic, your presence is 71 00:05:29.370 --> 00:05:31.170 confrontational. Yeah, there's going to be if you're going to commit to go 72 00:05:31.250 --> 00:05:33.850 out to an abortion clinic, just go ahead and commit that. There's going 73 00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:40.120 to be confrontation. If you're non confrontational person, then you're not. Unless 74 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:43.000 you're willing to be crucified with Christ, and let that go to the wayside, 75 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.519 you're not going to do very well in front of abortion clinic. Right. 76 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:49.629 Doesn't mean you're willfully trying to calls conflict and and all these things, 77 00:05:49.790 --> 00:05:55.350 but it's confrontational. So it just as the right off the message is confronting. 78 00:05:55.389 --> 00:05:58.829 Yeah, said, and and just your presence there. That just if 79 00:05:58.910 --> 00:06:00.709 you just not saying that, you just stand there and pray. But even 80 00:06:00.750 --> 00:06:03.860 if you were just to stand there and pray, just you standing there and 81 00:06:03.939 --> 00:06:08.860 praying right tells that person going into the abortion clinic, that person out there, 82 00:06:08.899 --> 00:06:12.139 because really, ultimately they're dealing with the Lord in their hearts. That 83 00:06:12.259 --> 00:06:15.300 has nothing to do with you, but your God's representative, you represent the 84 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:17.730 Lord who's bringing conviction in their heart for coming to that abortion clinic and they 85 00:06:17.769 --> 00:06:21.370 might vent on you. That's right. Yeah, we experience that a great 86 00:06:21.410 --> 00:06:26.649 deal. Today out on the side there was so much confrontation, so much 87 00:06:26.810 --> 00:06:30.089 anger. Even before we set a word, car pulled in and the woman 88 00:06:30.649 --> 00:06:35.720 came storming out of her car and said the Bible says Thou shall not judge. 89 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:40.199 I was just furious with us and I think the only thing we had 90 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:43.879 said is, Hey, we have free literature and Resources for you. Yeah, 91 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.800 how confrontational is that at at all? Not at all, but just 92 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:49.470 our presence there. You know that lady actually shameless plug in, needs to 93 00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:53.910 listen to our podcast about judging. Yeah, that now. Well, we 94 00:06:54.269 --> 00:06:57.110 did give her a little bit of above them, gave her some punch with 95 00:06:57.189 --> 00:07:00.029 the Bible says right, but that's just actually again the shameless plug in for 96 00:07:00.069 --> 00:07:03.939 you guys to listen to that anyway. Ye, continue and on. There 97 00:07:04.060 --> 00:07:09.819 are times when we need to keep our mouth shut. Yeah, for example, 98 00:07:09.819 --> 00:07:14.740 I've had young men angry as can be. We've addressed his girlfriend and 99 00:07:14.819 --> 00:07:17.569 his wife going into the abortion clinic. He stomps over at me and he's 100 00:07:17.610 --> 00:07:21.649 going to set me straight. Yeah, and rather than me responding and trying 101 00:07:21.689 --> 00:07:25.610 to defend myself because you know, he's coming and spew you and all kind 102 00:07:25.689 --> 00:07:29.009 finds of anger and just bad you know, and he was want to let 103 00:07:29.089 --> 00:07:31.240 me have it, there have been times where I just keep my mouth shut. 104 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:33.879 Yeah, well, I might responde. Those first weaves. Not, 105 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:38.120 but we're just about setting the stage. Great, okay, got it. 106 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:42.240 Got It. And so as a man, yeah, I can address men, 107 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:45.550 but also, I think, women. Yeah, a human propensity is 108 00:07:46.269 --> 00:07:48.430 we want to defend ourselves. Yeah, we want to stand our ground. 109 00:07:48.870 --> 00:07:51.829 We want to set that woman straight, let her know. Listen, you're 110 00:07:51.910 --> 00:07:55.310 wrong about me. Yeah, I don't know me, but you're saying all 111 00:07:55.310 --> 00:07:57.350 these things about me, but I need to set you straight. You're wrong 112 00:07:57.350 --> 00:08:00.379 about me. Especially for a man, we want to stand our ground. 113 00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:03.779 I don't want to have to keep my mouth shut and not respond to someone 114 00:08:03.819 --> 00:08:05.339 who's accused me of all kinds of things. Yeah, you know I'm the 115 00:08:05.420 --> 00:08:09.019 worst person that ever existed, even though, again, they don't know me. 116 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:11.779 It's so unjust, it's so unfair. But we're they're in bad weather. 117 00:08:11.930 --> 00:08:16.930 Often times we're doing our best to offer help to these people, so 118 00:08:16.970 --> 00:08:22.410 much self sacrifice, and here they are being mean us. Yeah, and 119 00:08:22.610 --> 00:08:26.490 I want to defend myself and I want to set the record straight. And 120 00:08:26.649 --> 00:08:28.759 Listen, I'm not saying that they're in it. In the context for that, 121 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:33.480 there's sometimes he's a context for setting the record straight. But as men 122 00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:37.639 again we want to stand our ground, we want to set the record straight, 123 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:39.919 to defend ourselves, and I was struck with this proverb. This is 124 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:43.990 proverbs twenty verse three. Okay, a couple of years ago. In this 125 00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:48.950 context and thinking about sidewalk counting and thinking about some of the confrontations I've had, 126 00:08:48.990 --> 00:08:52.070 especially with young men who come over to set me straight right the Lord, 127 00:08:52.149 --> 00:08:56.419 really struck with this proverbs twenty verse three. It is honorable for a 128 00:08:56.500 --> 00:09:01.460 man to stop striving or fighting or quarreling, since any fool can start a 129 00:09:01.500 --> 00:09:03.620 quarrel. Any I that just is so amazing and that is so true. 130 00:09:03.659 --> 00:09:07.980 Any fool can start a quarrel, but but the wise man. Well, 131 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:13.250 you know, let me bring them that kind of trained and I think, 132 00:09:13.330 --> 00:09:16.289 in one sense, rightly so. Right we want to be when we want 133 00:09:16.289 --> 00:09:18.970 to stand for what is right and what is good. We don't want to 134 00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:22.929 back away. MMMM it. We shouldn't cower down, right, we don't 135 00:09:22.929 --> 00:09:26.240 want to back away. I want to be intimidated. We don't want to 136 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:28.679 be intimidating, we don't want to compromise the truth. Right, but also 137 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.960 we kind of take that to a level where it's really just selfdefense. It's 138 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:35.559 really more about us than it is about the truth. Yeah, and we 139 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:37.870 think it's dishonorable if I back away from this fight, if this guy's spewing 140 00:09:37.909 --> 00:09:41.830 all this garbage on me and I don't I don't spew some stuff back or 141 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:45.629 I don't give him a rebuttal, then it's not honorable for me, but 142 00:09:45.710 --> 00:09:48.909 the Bible says it is. Yeah, it is honorable for you to to 143 00:09:50.669 --> 00:09:52.019 say, listen, I'm not here to fight, man. Yeah, I'm 144 00:09:52.019 --> 00:09:56.259 not here to defend myself, I'm just here to help. That's a lot 145 00:09:56.340 --> 00:10:00.620 of times my response to things like that will be man, we're just here 146 00:10:00.659 --> 00:10:05.019 to help. Yeah, and then sometimes I've learned that it's not help for 147 00:10:05.259 --> 00:10:07.809 me to respond and try to defend my position and try to justify why I'm 148 00:10:07.809 --> 00:10:11.570 there. Sometimes just let them spew their stuff, maybe stinging with a little 149 00:10:11.570 --> 00:10:15.250 bit of truth, and then keep silent. Yeah, let God deal with 150 00:10:15.330 --> 00:10:18.570 them, because ultimately it's not you or me or any wisdom that we have 151 00:10:18.809 --> 00:10:24.519 that's going to change a heart. Right, it comes down to US trusting 152 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.639 the Holy Spirit to do his work. Now, the Holy Spirit works through 153 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:31.039 the word of God, primarily right. So we need to share the word 154 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:35.950 of God, but that doesn't mean we always need to feel the air with 155 00:10:35.470 --> 00:10:39.750 with speech. Sometimes we need to sting them with a little bit of truth 156 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:43.389 from God's Word and let them think about it for a minute, let them 157 00:10:43.509 --> 00:10:46.429 process it. Yeah, now, I know in it for myself. When 158 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:48.990 I'm in that sort of a confront of situation, it feels like when I'm 159 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:56.019 silent I am agreeing with them and and that's why it's hard for me to 160 00:10:56.139 --> 00:11:00.500 remain silent. But that is not true. I'm not agreeing with them. 161 00:11:00.740 --> 00:11:05.169 So if they think it, so what, but it the the need to 162 00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:11.730 calm the storm sometimes. So that what we're primarily there for, which is 163 00:11:13.169 --> 00:11:18.250 to help tell the truth about those babies and help women to choose life is 164 00:11:18.330 --> 00:11:22.440 so much more important than me defending myself in a confrontationally. And of course, 165 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:26.320 again we're supposed to share the truth, we're supposed to speak the truth, 166 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:31.559 we're supposed to proclaim God's truth, but we don't need to get an 167 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:33.830 argument with somebody right. We don't need to set the record straight for our 168 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:37.350 own sake. Yeah, we do need to stand for the truth, not 169 00:11:37.470 --> 00:11:41.669 back away from the truth. But again we've got to trust the Holy Spirit 170 00:11:41.750 --> 00:11:43.590 to do his work, because as much as we think we might be wise 171 00:11:43.789 --> 00:11:48.899 and we've read all the arguments about this particular subject, you can have it 172 00:11:48.940 --> 00:11:52.860 all figured out and whatever argument that someone wants to bring and get every every 173 00:11:54.620 --> 00:11:58.259 great answer to every question, and still it could get right over their head 174 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:01.529 in one ear and now the other, if the Holy Spirit isn't at work. 175 00:12:01.090 --> 00:12:03.610 You know, there is a sense in which, you know, you 176 00:12:03.690 --> 00:12:07.129 mentioned I feel like if I stay silent, almost like there's this guilt associated 177 00:12:07.210 --> 00:12:09.450 right if I don't speak up, if someone comes over to me and they 178 00:12:09.490 --> 00:12:11.929 say this, this and this, if I don't set the record straight, 179 00:12:13.049 --> 00:12:15.759 somehow I'm missing the mark. I'm agreeing with that. In fact, you 180 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:16.840 know, before you move on to what you were going to say, that's 181 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:22.120 one of the most famous quotes by Dietrich bonhoffer. Is Silence in the face 182 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:28.200 of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to 183 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:31.950 speak is to speak, not to act is to act, and I think 184 00:12:31.950 --> 00:12:35.309 that's that tension that you're talking about, that there's this guilt. If your 185 00:12:35.429 --> 00:12:41.269 silent, are you a part of the problem? Are you actually agreeing with 186 00:12:41.750 --> 00:12:45.700 the evil? And Yeah, not always, but sometimes you are. But 187 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:50.779 you know, as a society, especially as the church. Yeah, and 188 00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:56.700 so many times we have remained silent. We sadly, as the church, 189 00:12:56.820 --> 00:13:00.409 have kept our mouths close about the issue of abortion. Yeah, that's the 190 00:13:00.490 --> 00:13:05.169 context of that stalk exactly. And so I think you guys here, we're 191 00:13:05.210 --> 00:13:07.169 not saying in front of an abortion clinic to keep your mouth shut, right, 192 00:13:07.450 --> 00:13:09.769 we're saying to open your mouth, but we are saying that there are 193 00:13:09.850 --> 00:13:13.240 times when you need to remain silent, there are times you don't need to 194 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:18.440 rebut everything that comes at you. Yeah, and it's wisdom often times to 195 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.799 not answer. You know, the Bible tells us we shouldn't answer a full 196 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:24.480 of court. To his folly. It goes on to say that we should 197 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:26.429 answer a full porting. So it tends. I guess it depends on this. 198 00:13:26.590 --> 00:13:30.470 Well, you, hey, you know exactly. You. I was 199 00:13:30.549 --> 00:13:31.590 talking to a brother the other day. I mentioned this quote to you. 200 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:33.909 This kind of came in my in my mind the other day as I was 201 00:13:33.950 --> 00:13:37.549 talking to a brother who was talking about all of the the riots and stuff 202 00:13:37.590 --> 00:13:41.149 that's going on, and he was talking like I want to go and I 203 00:13:41.230 --> 00:13:43.460 want to share the Gospel with those people. They need Jesus and they certainly 204 00:13:43.539 --> 00:13:48.100 do, right, and I certainly would not fault a person for going into 205 00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:50.899 the midst of that mob and preaching Jesus. A matter of fact, people 206 00:13:50.980 --> 00:13:56.129 have, in God's done an amazing work through it and some people have and 207 00:13:56.250 --> 00:14:01.009 they regretted it. Right. And so I said this just in thinking through 208 00:14:01.009 --> 00:14:03.250 the Gospels and thinking through Jesus, because Jesus is our example. Right, 209 00:14:03.529 --> 00:14:07.730 I'm not your example, guys Vicki's not your example. I mean there's some 210 00:14:07.809 --> 00:14:11.320 stuff you can clean from us. We've have some experiences and we can share 211 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:13.960 that stuff with you, but ultimately Jesus is the example. And so I 212 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:18.000 said this to this brother. I said, Jesus knew when to feed the 213 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:20.200 mob. Right, he knew when to sit down, feed and teach them. 214 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:24.590 He knew when to stir up the mob. There were times of the 215 00:14:24.669 --> 00:14:28.149 mob was angry at Jesus, right, and he shared the truth. You 216 00:14:28.230 --> 00:14:30.549 think of it. Was it John Chapter six, when he says, unless 217 00:14:30.549 --> 00:14:31.509 you eat my flesh and drink my blood? They were stirred up, they 218 00:14:31.549 --> 00:14:35.470 were angry at Jesus and ultimately the mob left. He knew when to leave 219 00:14:35.509 --> 00:14:39.539 the mob. At one point they wanted to to get him and throw him 220 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:41.899 off the cliff and he slips out, the Bible says. So he knows 221 00:14:41.940 --> 00:14:45.340 where to escape the mob. And he knew when to stay silent before the 222 00:14:45.419 --> 00:14:48.820 mob. Yeah, in His crucifixion, right, the mob was there crucify 223 00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:52.860 him. He stayed silent. So Jesus knew when to feed the mob, 224 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:56.409 stir up the mob, leave the mob and stay silent before the mob. 225 00:14:56.649 --> 00:15:01.690 Yeah, and my prayer is and hopefully this podcast you guys will be praying 226 00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:03.649 through like Lord. When do I keep my mouth shut? Give us to 227 00:15:03.769 --> 00:15:07.090 when do I when I came on my we know when to open our mouth 228 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:11.639 when injustice there's are taken place, we must open our mouth, we must 229 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:15.279 speak out. But in the midst of that speaking out, there are sometimes 230 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:16.960 it people are going to vent on you and they're going to just spe all 231 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.789 kinds of garbage and you don't need to defend yourself. Right, sometimes you 232 00:15:20.870 --> 00:15:24.309 need to sting with a little bit of truth and then let God deal with 233 00:15:24.470 --> 00:15:30.230 them, because you are not being you're not consenting to evil when you've already 234 00:15:30.269 --> 00:15:35.220 spoken against that evil. You're not consenting to evil to to not defend yourself 235 00:15:35.419 --> 00:15:37.700 in light of what you just said. Of that, there's a point at 236 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:43.500 which the anger can become so great that they no longer hear you anyway. 237 00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:46.820 And Yeah, at that's that's a point. That's kind of a maybe a 238 00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:50.889 guide, if their anger is just so strong that they're just shouting over you. 239 00:15:52.610 --> 00:15:56.529 Yeah, there's there's no reason to give there's there's no reason. Yeah, 240 00:15:56.129 --> 00:16:00.690 and proverbs twenty nine, verse eleven, proverbs is full of things. 241 00:16:00.730 --> 00:16:03.600 If you got a tongue issue, if you got an issue with your tongue, 242 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:07.279 yeah, read through proverbs and God will help you with it. It 243 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:11.200 says proverbs twenty twenty nine, verse eleven. A fool vince all his feelings, 244 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:17.879 but a wise man holds them back. Yeah, you know, we're 245 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:19.789 kind of taught of you heard some people teach this in like Christian sir coals. 246 00:16:21.110 --> 00:16:22.269 We get so much bottled up in this. We need to go invent 247 00:16:22.429 --> 00:16:25.269 that. So we need to go break something. We need you go on 248 00:16:25.309 --> 00:16:27.190 the side of a mountain and Yell Really Loud Hey, you know what? 249 00:16:27.470 --> 00:16:33.220 That might be helpful, and maybe in a psychological context that is, but 250 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:36.100 cording to the scripture, that's actually a what a fool does. Yeah, 251 00:16:36.139 --> 00:16:37.460 we don't need to vent all of our feelings, right. We see it 252 00:16:37.539 --> 00:16:41.500 on her facebook all the time. If you ask, you see people event 253 00:16:41.580 --> 00:16:44.740 in there. Don't? That is an example I think of people just get 254 00:16:44.940 --> 00:16:48.889 just given you way too much information, way too much venting, to the 255 00:16:48.009 --> 00:16:52.610 degree where it's very uncomfortable and it's foolish. Yeah, and it will come 256 00:16:52.649 --> 00:16:56.090 back to bite them. Absolutely. Yeah, but a wise man holds them 257 00:16:56.129 --> 00:17:00.169 back. We can, by God's grace, hold back our feelings when somebody 258 00:17:00.210 --> 00:17:03.000 has charged at us and they just let us have it, whether it be 259 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:07.400 at an abortion clinic, whether it be, I don't know what context it 260 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:10.039 might be in. Yeah, we can hold back our feels. We don't 261 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:11.079 need to respond. So, you know, let's going to our next points. 262 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:15.359 We didn't see Labor. This is but that is a really important it 263 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:21.430 is as conflict happened so often. But be silent in order to carefully listen. 264 00:17:21.950 --> 00:17:23.269 And if I had to pick one that I am most guilty of, 265 00:17:23.549 --> 00:17:29.029 this is for me, right when I'm most guilty of but you, you 266 00:17:29.230 --> 00:17:34.619 certainly cannot help someone if you don't understand their issues. Yeah, and this 267 00:17:34.819 --> 00:17:40.339 is important. Guys, as you're listening through this podcast, you think about 268 00:17:40.339 --> 00:17:44.220 these these different silence things and times to be silent. This is not just 269 00:17:44.369 --> 00:17:48.170 time to be silent to diffuse a situation, right, this is time to 270 00:17:48.210 --> 00:17:51.930 be silent to actually list and to the issue, because when a woman comes 271 00:17:51.970 --> 00:17:56.369 to an abortion clinic, when a guy's there with his girlfriend at the abortion 272 00:17:56.410 --> 00:17:59.640 clinic, when a friend is come with her friend, there's things going on 273 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:03.039 in her life. They're never a justification for abortion, right. So of 274 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:04.799 course we don't say, Oh, yeah, you were right, you convince 275 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:08.279 me abortions. Okay, goodhead. No, but we do need to listen. 276 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:11.480 These are real issues they're dealing with. They're real things going on in 277 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:15.549 their lives that we need to take time to listen to so that we can 278 00:18:15.789 --> 00:18:21.630 help bring some clarity, help bring God into the equation. Right. You 279 00:18:21.750 --> 00:18:25.109 know, with our trust podcast we talked about helping women trust the Lord. 280 00:18:25.470 --> 00:18:27.660 We need to bring God into the equations so they can see this situation is 281 00:18:27.740 --> 00:18:32.180 not too hard for God. But you can't, you can't know how to 282 00:18:32.259 --> 00:18:37.180 answer properly unless you first listen. Yeah, so slow, not even even 283 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:40.380 if they're angry, even if they've come come over to you and they're just 284 00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:44.609 spewing all this stuff. Sometimes just have a listening ear, just hear what 285 00:18:44.730 --> 00:18:48.329 they're saying. There's some pain there. Yeah, there's some anger there because 286 00:18:48.329 --> 00:18:52.569 there's pain there, and just listening. Maybe this person is never had someone 287 00:18:52.650 --> 00:18:55.960 that actually listened. Yeah, you know, because you imagine the scenario is 288 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:57.759 a woman comes over, she's abortion minded, but she's angry with you for 289 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.319 telling her, because you've called out to her. Hey, we have help 290 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:03.799 available, don't take the life of your baby. She stormed over to you 291 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:04.960 and she's saying, you don't know what's going on in my life, and 292 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:10.390 then she shares it. Yeah, stop and listen. Don't just take it 293 00:19:10.470 --> 00:19:15.190 as an attack against you. Here's what proverbs what is it? Eighteen thirteen, 294 00:19:15.269 --> 00:19:18.950 verse thirteen. He who answers a matter before he hear's it, it 295 00:19:19.150 --> 00:19:23.299 is folly and shame to him. Hey, that's a great verse two to 296 00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:27.180 express that. Yeah, absolutely. So someone has come over to you and 297 00:19:27.259 --> 00:19:30.740 they've got issues going on. Yeah, you can't give a good answer until 298 00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:36.980 you've actually heard what's going on. And, as angry as they might be, 299 00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:38.529 at least they've come over and shared it, because, let's face at 300 00:19:38.569 --> 00:19:42.930 the majority of the women going into the abortion clinic don't even don't even acknowledge 301 00:19:42.970 --> 00:19:45.930 you. They go in stone face and go into the abortion clinic. So 302 00:19:47.170 --> 00:19:48.690 at least they've come over and they share with you, even as angry as 303 00:19:48.690 --> 00:19:53.400 they might be. So take time to listen. Yeah, answering with compassion 304 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:57.920 is very important. Let's say they're involved in a situation where they're a victim 305 00:19:57.960 --> 00:20:02.000 of rape and they're angry because you're telling them not to have an abortion. 306 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:04.640 You don't know the situation, you just know the baby situation. They're there 307 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:07.309 to kill their child. Yeah, rape is not a justification for that. 308 00:20:07.589 --> 00:20:11.549 Yeah, but if that's been they've been subjected to that. It's important that 309 00:20:11.589 --> 00:20:15.950 we listen to what they're saying and we slow down for a second and we 310 00:20:15.069 --> 00:20:18.509 answer with compassion, I'm sorry that happened to you, and then we can 311 00:20:18.589 --> 00:20:22.619 get into some of the after effects of abortion. How abortion is not going 312 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:26.099 to be helpful. But if you're not willing to listen to them, it's 313 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:30.019 unlikely that they're going to be willing to listen to you. That's for sure 314 00:20:30.140 --> 00:20:33.259 one of the best questions I think that we can ask and then be silentist. 315 00:20:33.380 --> 00:20:37.329 Hey, what's going on? And then be silent. Yeah, you 316 00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:40.009 know, and he and here, what's what's going on? We had a 317 00:20:40.089 --> 00:20:45.650 rape victim out at the sidewalk today and she was livid that. She said, 318 00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:51.559 we don't know your situation and and I said, you're right, we 319 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:55.799 don't. What is your situation? Whatever your situation is, we can help 320 00:20:55.839 --> 00:21:00.880 you. And then she she told about the rape. Yeah, yeah, 321 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.589 it was still an angry exchange and there came a point at which I had 322 00:21:04.670 --> 00:21:08.670 to be silent. I didn't feel like my words were going to be useful 323 00:21:08.710 --> 00:21:15.029 anymore. Yeah, but but carefully. Listening is one of the most important 324 00:21:15.029 --> 00:21:18.420 counseling techniques a good counselors taught. Yeah, absolutely, to be able to 325 00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:23.980 listen, to be able to know what what to ask and and to know 326 00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:26.940 how to best help. If you don't know the issues, you can't help. 327 00:21:26.980 --> 00:21:30.380 Yeah, yeah, one of the things that, of course, we 328 00:21:30.539 --> 00:21:33.049 train our folks to do. One of the things that we do is, 329 00:21:33.130 --> 00:21:37.009 yes, we want to we want to deliver information to them. We want 330 00:21:37.049 --> 00:21:42.009 to tell them about their babies development, God's resources for them, God's love 331 00:21:42.049 --> 00:21:47.089 for them, for their baby. We want to warn them about justice that 332 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:49.319 God brings to those that have abortion. So we share the Gospel and all 333 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:52.400 that. But one of the places I want to get to, if I'm 334 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.039 talking to a woman one on one, is I want to get to why 335 00:21:56.119 --> 00:21:59.440 are you here? I want them to talk. So matter of fact. 336 00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:02.390 I'll get to that as quick as I can. Right. I will get 337 00:22:02.390 --> 00:22:04.869 the literature in their hands. I will talk with them about while we're standing 338 00:22:04.910 --> 00:22:07.430 out there. You know we're here because we care about you. We care 339 00:22:07.430 --> 00:22:11.029 about your baby. What brought you here, right? What makes you feel 340 00:22:11.029 --> 00:22:14.589 like abortion is something you need to do? I'll get to that pretty quick. 341 00:22:14.630 --> 00:22:17.220 And why am I getting to that? Because I want to engage them 342 00:22:17.259 --> 00:22:23.339 in conversation, with with them. Yeah, con is with versation is verstating, 343 00:22:25.339 --> 00:22:27.339 throwing verses back and forth, I mean beach. Yeah, seriously, 344 00:22:27.420 --> 00:22:32.089 it's with speech, with talk. So I want to talk with them. 345 00:22:32.170 --> 00:22:33.569 I don't want to just monolog on them. Yeah, now, there are 346 00:22:33.569 --> 00:22:37.170 at times, of course, you and I both know, where they'll stop 347 00:22:37.329 --> 00:22:41.650 their vehicle, pull over to the side of the road to converse air quotes 348 00:22:41.690 --> 00:22:44.640 and they're not talking at all. So I will monolog on them. Yeah, 349 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.680 I'll just give them all the stuff and talk to him. But all 350 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:49.880 along I'm trying to get them to converse with me. I'm trying to get 351 00:22:49.960 --> 00:22:52.960 them to share why they're they're right. I mean you want to get in 352 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:57.829 that conversation with them and when they open up and which, strangely enough, 353 00:23:00.150 --> 00:23:03.789 I've had some ladies tell me some pretty candid stuff about, you know, 354 00:23:03.829 --> 00:23:07.710 their sexual relationships and they're even health issues or likes. Too much information, 355 00:23:07.910 --> 00:23:12.180 but you're listening and it. But I'm listening most people. I mean I'll 356 00:23:12.220 --> 00:23:15.380 just share, I'll just take it in, I'll just listen. I mean 357 00:23:15.539 --> 00:23:18.619 listen my wife's you know, we've had eight children. We've been through a 358 00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:19.859 lot. I've seen a lot of babies born, I've seen in her. 359 00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:23.059 My wife is a nurse, a lot of pretty nasty things with none of 360 00:23:23.099 --> 00:23:26.940 it, none of it scares me away. Yeah, but I'll list I'll 361 00:23:26.940 --> 00:23:29.690 just let if they'll talk, I'll let them talk as long as I can. 362 00:23:29.690 --> 00:23:32.970 Let them talk and share, and even with tears in their eyes. 363 00:23:33.049 --> 00:23:34.930 Of course, you've seen that a lot, where they just start tearing up 364 00:23:34.970 --> 00:23:38.130 when they're sharing, even from their own perspective, and you haven't really said 365 00:23:38.130 --> 00:23:44.279 much and they're just kind of just they're not venting, they're kind of unloading 366 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:47.599 in a good way. Yeah, so that you again. You're like, 367 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:51.400 they're just kind of like putting all this mess out there and then at some 368 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.279 point, of course, you come in and you sort through the mess and 369 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:56.549 you shall show them how God can fix the chaos that you just shared with 370 00:23:56.670 --> 00:24:00.470 me. If you have listened, I had a again, you listen. 371 00:24:00.630 --> 00:24:03.910 If you've listened, I had a great story that that relates to this from 372 00:24:03.950 --> 00:24:07.990 yesterday when I was counseling a woman over the phone and in the middle of 373 00:24:07.069 --> 00:24:12.099 our discussion, she has a young child in her home and she paused just 374 00:24:12.259 --> 00:24:15.460 she didn't tell me, hey, just give me a second. She just 375 00:24:15.539 --> 00:24:19.140 started dealing with this young child's misbehavior, the childhood lied or something. And 376 00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:25.730 she did. She did such a great job in how she dealt with this 377 00:24:25.890 --> 00:24:32.410 child and I'm carefully listening and and she in listening to how she dealt with 378 00:24:32.569 --> 00:24:37.490 that child and his lie and the consequent and everything was a picture in my 379 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:45.119 mind, is building of what God does as a good parent when we sin 380 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:48.079 against him. And this is a woman who believed in God, it's a 381 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:52.559 higher power, but did not believe in Jesus. But her interaction with the 382 00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:57.509 child was perfect for me to introduce the Gospel. That wouldn't have happened if 383 00:24:57.549 --> 00:25:03.789 I hadn't been listening and taking in what was happening between her and that child, 384 00:25:03.829 --> 00:25:07.299 and it really was a great segue, yeah, for me. Yeah, 385 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:11.259 so absolutely listening, carefully listening. We should be silent in order to 386 00:25:11.339 --> 00:25:14.099 listen. Is An important point. How about our number three one, let's 387 00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:18.380 go for it. Beside is lent in order to control one's speech. Okay, 388 00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:23.250 so sometimes our speech is arrogant. It can be selfrighteous. I mean, 389 00:25:23.369 --> 00:25:26.329 Mon's never arrogant because I'm the most humble person. Yeah, we know, 390 00:25:26.529 --> 00:25:30.170 but some people have to deal with that. I deal with extreme humility. 391 00:25:30.289 --> 00:25:33.569 Other people do with arrogance, all right, but for the rest of 392 00:25:33.609 --> 00:25:41.480 us, condescending. We're certain we're right everyone else's wrong, and there's no 393 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:45.400 doubt abortion is wrong. Yeah, absolutely, so we know that, but 394 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:53.789 sometimes the way that we speak with others is off putting. Yeah, absolutely, 395 00:25:55.349 --> 00:26:00.869 and our silence can help us to really thoughtfully consider our words. Yeah, 396 00:26:00.109 --> 00:26:03.029 so are their versus that like? Well, Ive got one here when 397 00:26:03.029 --> 00:26:07.420 right there? Yeah, believe it or not, proverbs twenty one, twenty 398 00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:12.500 three. Okay, whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. 399 00:26:12.579 --> 00:26:15.900 Oh and, man, I've my tongue has gotten me in a lot 400 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:18.529 of trouble. Mind, I don't know about yeah, yeah, and just 401 00:26:18.690 --> 00:26:22.049 in this context, but you know, family context of my wife. It's 402 00:26:22.049 --> 00:26:25.490 a matter of fact. I'll give you guys a word of wisdom. Me 403 00:26:25.569 --> 00:26:30.490 and my wife asked her grandmother couple of years ago, her and her her 404 00:26:30.569 --> 00:26:34.119 grandfather, I think they had there was a sixty anniversary or something. It's 405 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:40.319 pretty amazing. Yeah, and we ask them what's the secret, like how 406 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:42.680 do you guys stay together and have a good marriage for sixty years? Because 407 00:26:42.680 --> 00:26:45.960 they had a good marriage, like model marriage. You know, and her 408 00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:49.190 grandma said, you got to learn when to keep your mouth shut. Yeah, 409 00:26:49.430 --> 00:26:52.789 that was her. That was her key to sixty years of marriage. 410 00:26:53.390 --> 00:26:56.910 And I was like, well, that seems very much in line with proverbs, 411 00:26:57.150 --> 00:27:00.509 that we need to learn to keep our mouth shut. A lot of 412 00:27:00.630 --> 00:27:03.579 times we think I need to learn what to say when. Um, you 413 00:27:03.700 --> 00:27:07.380 need to learn when to keep your mouth shut. Yes, what to say 414 00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:11.019 when, but understanding that you got to keep your mouth shut first and listen. 415 00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:15.890 Yeah, to know how to respond properly and and to be thinking through, 416 00:27:15.930 --> 00:27:22.289 thinking carefully about when I do speak, how should I speak? Yeah, 417 00:27:22.529 --> 00:27:25.890 so that's the you know, the in controlling one's speech that you don't 418 00:27:25.930 --> 00:27:30.559 just full out with words and hope that they're appropriate in the tones, appropriate 419 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:34.839 whatever, but you have your silent to collect your thoughts and be able to 420 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:40.559 then speak in a way that is edifying kind. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, 421 00:27:40.839 --> 00:27:44.119 you know, this speaks of in Verse Twenty Three here in Proverbs, 422 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:48.029 twenty one, guarding your mouth and tongue. It speaks of control, it 423 00:27:48.150 --> 00:27:52.630 speaks of putting a shield over it speaks of, you know, keeping your 424 00:27:52.670 --> 00:27:55.829 mouth shut when you need to. Yeah, and again, this is not 425 00:27:56.029 --> 00:28:00.099 God being mean telling you can't talk. This is God trying to save you 426 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:03.259 from troubles. This is God's word trying to save us from troubles, because 427 00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:07.339 our tongue causes a lot of troubles and once it's out there, you cannot 428 00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:11.779 take it back, so it can truly destroy and once you've said it, 429 00:28:12.890 --> 00:28:18.970 that destruction is hard to clean up. Yeah, it is absolutely so. 430 00:28:21.049 --> 00:28:25.009 So be careful to be silent, to control and speech. How about this 431 00:28:25.210 --> 00:28:30.440 one? Be Silent in the face of great suffering. Yeah, and the 432 00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:34.480 tendency and great suffering is to see what you can do to heal it, 433 00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:42.269 to just rush in and solve everything. And in the context of the pro 434 00:28:42.390 --> 00:28:48.710 life movement or a sidewalk counselor in front of an abortion center. Most of 435 00:28:48.789 --> 00:28:52.670 the women that come to US truly are in the midst of great suffering. 436 00:28:53.190 --> 00:28:57.819 Many of them impoverished, many of them have broken families, many of them 437 00:28:57.940 --> 00:29:07.099 have had abusive or violent relationships, are currently even do and their stories are 438 00:29:07.220 --> 00:29:11.609 just really tragic. Very often that doesn't mean it justifies the abortion, but 439 00:29:11.769 --> 00:29:19.089 they are suffering. Yeah, and sometimes just silence to acknowledge that. You 440 00:29:19.250 --> 00:29:23.599 know, this is hard. Yeah, what you're going through really is hard. 441 00:29:23.640 --> 00:29:29.279 Yeah, I don't want to mention, especially as a man. Yeah, 442 00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:32.680 and as a guy who is I mean I'm a street preacher type. 443 00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:36.119 I'm a give them the truth and I don't care how it's received kind of 444 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:38.509 guy. But I've learned over the years. Yeah, it's easy for me 445 00:29:38.710 --> 00:29:42.269 to hear about someone's great suffering and then just to respond with, well, 446 00:29:42.309 --> 00:29:47.349 that doesn't matter, your baby still doesn't deserve to die. Right, and 447 00:29:47.430 --> 00:29:48.910 I don't really mean as a Christian, it doesn't matter, but what I 448 00:29:48.950 --> 00:29:52.460 do mean to say is that doesn't justify you killing your child. Right. 449 00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:56.900 It doesn't, Boe, matter to the degree that it would make you kill 450 00:29:56.980 --> 00:30:00.619 a baby, but it does mat yeah, and so I've learned, because 451 00:30:00.619 --> 00:30:03.259 that would be my typical response. It doesn't matter, you're still your baby 452 00:30:03.299 --> 00:30:07.099 still doesn't deserve that. I've learned to stop for a second, yeah, 453 00:30:07.210 --> 00:30:10.609 to listen, to let them know that it does matter, and it's like 454 00:30:10.730 --> 00:30:14.250 unto you know earlier point. Yeah, where we need to with compassion, 455 00:30:14.289 --> 00:30:18.289 answer I'm sorry you're going through that, and we, as much as we 456 00:30:18.329 --> 00:30:22.559 can, need to identify with the suffering that's going on, not to minimize 457 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:26.319 it, not to just brush it to the side, because I mean talk 458 00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:30.559 about off putting. That is really off putting when someone's dealing with some junk 459 00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:33.319 in their life and all your response is, well, you still don't need 460 00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:37.029 to kill your child, and just a snappy, right back response. And 461 00:30:37.150 --> 00:30:41.950 it might it might look cool to your street preacher buddies that you're able to 462 00:30:41.990 --> 00:30:45.950 answer that quickly, but sometimes you need to keep silent, listen and even 463 00:30:47.109 --> 00:30:52.299 like let the Lord speak, really the reality what's going on this person's life 464 00:30:52.380 --> 00:30:53.700 in your heart, you know what I mean, so that they can see 465 00:30:53.779 --> 00:30:57.259 on your face you actually care about them. Yeah, because you do. 466 00:30:57.579 --> 00:31:00.980 Right, if your believer, you care about the stuff they're going through. 467 00:31:00.980 --> 00:31:04.210 You Do, and sometimes the care is is in that I want to fix 468 00:31:04.289 --> 00:31:07.529 it, and that's what happens to me. I want to fix it, 469 00:31:07.609 --> 00:31:10.289 I've got to fix it and I've got to fix it now, and that 470 00:31:10.569 --> 00:31:12.849 is sometimes kind of productive. It can be. Yeah, yeah, they 471 00:31:12.930 --> 00:31:15.450 you need to. You want to just give them right back a resource that'll 472 00:31:15.490 --> 00:31:18.160 meet that. What's school? We can we these awesome resources. Great, 473 00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:21.400 but you want to snap back right away and say, Oh, you got 474 00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:23.680 this going on, here's a resource. And sometimes you need to remain silent 475 00:31:23.720 --> 00:31:30.160 because you're minimizing you're minimizing that suffering in the perfect example of that is the 476 00:31:30.279 --> 00:31:33.750 whole book of Job. Yeah, job, with just all the suffering. 477 00:31:33.869 --> 00:31:37.069 We won't go into all the details. You all probably know the basic story, 478 00:31:37.190 --> 00:31:41.309 but but with all that suffering in his three friends come and they don't 479 00:31:41.349 --> 00:31:47.460 just come and sit with him, they come and try to first of all 480 00:31:47.500 --> 00:31:51.779 accuse him. What did you do that was so awful that God has done 481 00:31:51.779 --> 00:31:53.980 all this terrible stuff to you? And then they try to fix it with 482 00:31:55.099 --> 00:31:57.980 all the things he needs to do to fix all this submarine and they were 483 00:31:59.059 --> 00:32:02.930 wrong first of all. But but job finally really just answers them saying just 484 00:32:04.250 --> 00:32:07.329 shut up. Yeah, well, job one thousand, three hundred and five, 485 00:32:07.369 --> 00:32:08.769 Huh, is one of the verses that we have in line with this. 486 00:32:08.970 --> 00:32:12.930 Again, this talking about the whole book age. It is yeah, 487 00:32:13.049 --> 00:32:15.839 but verse five maybe kind of sums it up. Oh, that you would 488 00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:22.559 be silent and it would be your wisdom. Silence is wisdom sometimes, old 489 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:25.119 guys, that you would shut your mouth, and that's where your wisdoms in 490 00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:28.960 a come from. Keep your mouth shut, and that. How many times 491 00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:31.309 have we heard that? When, when you go to a funeral or when 492 00:32:31.430 --> 00:32:37.910 someone has experienced some horrible tragedy in your life and you want to fix it 493 00:32:37.029 --> 00:32:43.470 with your words, and so much of the vice from the experts and from 494 00:32:43.509 --> 00:32:47.980 people who have undergone great suffering is your words can't fix it. Yeah, 495 00:32:49.299 --> 00:32:58.259 your presence and your compassion and just your your gentle kind silence is is the 496 00:32:58.380 --> 00:33:00.170 best thing you can do. Yeah, in the face of awful suffering. 497 00:33:00.210 --> 00:33:05.769 Job, really. That's that's what he expresses. Yeah, so his wife 498 00:33:05.890 --> 00:33:08.329 tells them hers is the word example of what. Yet don't do, just 499 00:33:08.650 --> 00:33:13.480 curse God and die. Yes, she says, man, talk about a 500 00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:17.200 ball and change. Maybe I should have kept silent and not said that. 501 00:33:17.480 --> 00:33:21.119 Let's go into our next point, right, and our next point. This 502 00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:23.519 is our final point. Well, right, we have two more. Oh, 503 00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:29.029 very closely related. But be silent to let the words that have been 504 00:33:29.230 --> 00:33:34.150 spoken have time to sink. Okay, this is this is a good one. 505 00:33:34.269 --> 00:33:36.670 It is a and, but I've kind of already mentioned that. We've 506 00:33:36.710 --> 00:33:39.509 can already talked about that. But what you guys to process this is someone, 507 00:33:39.670 --> 00:33:44.220 this is something that we've kind of learned and you have a personal experience 508 00:33:44.259 --> 00:33:47.779 with this one, right, what's the scripture? There? The scriptures ECCLESIASTS, 509 00:33:47.980 --> 00:33:54.500 nine, seventeen. Okay, plesiast these nine and seventeen, and it 510 00:33:54.809 --> 00:34:04.049 says words of the wise spoken quietly should be heard rather than the shout of 511 00:34:04.170 --> 00:34:07.570 a ruler of fools. So it's not quite silence, it's quietly. Well, 512 00:34:07.610 --> 00:34:13.800 it's letting the words sink in right, and we have, as sidewalk 513 00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:20.559 counselors, very important things to say. And you know, there's a lot 514 00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:23.750 of things that we can say in that context to an abortion mighte. Mom 515 00:34:23.789 --> 00:34:28.030 while she's walking into the abortion clinic or even while we're talking one on one 516 00:34:28.110 --> 00:34:30.230 with her. There's a lot of stuff we can say. We can come 517 00:34:30.269 --> 00:34:31.949 ever enough time, never enough time. We can cover a lot of ground. 518 00:34:32.590 --> 00:34:39.619 Yeah, but I've learned saying some things, given some just really deep 519 00:34:39.820 --> 00:34:44.860 truths that speak into their situation, and then giving them time, because the 520 00:34:44.980 --> 00:34:46.460 tendency is we want to because there's a lot that can be said, we 521 00:34:46.619 --> 00:34:51.099 want to, fear, fill up the air with speech. Yeah, you 522 00:34:51.179 --> 00:34:53.929 know, I've seen that. I've done that even at the abortion clinic here 523 00:34:54.170 --> 00:35:00.809 as we set up the sound system and in time past, my method of 524 00:35:00.289 --> 00:35:04.530 using the sound system basically like preach the whole time. I'll be out there 525 00:35:04.570 --> 00:35:07.440 on the microphone. I'll be on there for twenty thirty minutes preaching. Yeah, 526 00:35:07.519 --> 00:35:10.599 good stuff, reaching the Gospel. Somebody else will hop on for another 527 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:14.159 twenty thirty minute and they saying, you know, the whole space of that 528 00:35:14.280 --> 00:35:16.199 time has been filled up with preaching. And it's not bad. Right, 529 00:35:16.280 --> 00:35:21.829 preaching is good. But what I've discovered is, and we've really kind of 530 00:35:21.869 --> 00:35:24.230 strategically done this, is that there are certain times, yeah, we need 531 00:35:24.230 --> 00:35:29.389 to broadcast a message in the Gospel needs to be shared fifteen or twenty minutes 532 00:35:29.429 --> 00:35:31.510 and let them have time, those who are in the parking lot, those 533 00:35:31.550 --> 00:35:35.190 who are may be in the waiting room with the abortion clinic, what they've 534 00:35:35.230 --> 00:35:37.940 heard. Give them time to process it, give them time to think about 535 00:35:37.940 --> 00:35:42.980 it. Yeah, yeah, because that's kind of how we operate when you're 536 00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:45.139 listening to a message or you're reading a book. Least I do. If 537 00:35:45.179 --> 00:35:49.300 I'm reading the Scripture my time with the Lord in the morning, I'll read 538 00:35:49.340 --> 00:35:52.210 a passage and I'll contemplate it for a minute. If I just keep on 539 00:35:52.289 --> 00:35:54.050 reading, keep on reading, I don't get the depth that I would get 540 00:35:54.090 --> 00:35:58.570 if I processed. Yeah, you've lost those important little nuggets of truth. 541 00:35:58.610 --> 00:36:02.610 And and my story that directly relates to this is I was on the microphone 542 00:36:02.650 --> 00:36:07.920 and we were doing a sound check. You, you had told me specifically, 543 00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:10.239 I'm going to go up up in a back neighborhood or something to make 544 00:36:10.280 --> 00:36:14.159 sure that we're not being too loud. Yeah, you know, we didn't 545 00:36:14.159 --> 00:36:19.230 want to violate the noise ordinance. And so you told me talk for five 546 00:36:19.309 --> 00:36:22.190 minutes and then be quiet for three minutes, something like that. Yeah, 547 00:36:22.190 --> 00:36:25.190 it was a long time. It was an uncomfortable for me period of silence, 548 00:36:25.269 --> 00:36:28.349 but I was going to do it because you held me to it. 549 00:36:28.389 --> 00:36:31.710 Yeah, and I'm an obedient servant of the Lord. So so I would. 550 00:36:31.710 --> 00:36:38.739 I decided to read from our pamphlet about different methods of abortion and what 551 00:36:38.980 --> 00:36:45.059 happens in an abortion, because they were each the proper segment of time you 552 00:36:45.139 --> 00:36:47.730 want it, and then between each one of those segments I was just going 553 00:36:47.769 --> 00:36:52.090 to be silent for three minutes. Seem to work. So I did that. 554 00:36:52.369 --> 00:36:55.329 Yeah, and and I read it. And as I'm reading segment one, 555 00:36:55.570 --> 00:37:00.480 it's pretty horrific. What happens in every abortion, in every no matter 556 00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:07.199 how young, how early, that baby is. An abortion is barbaric and 557 00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:09.800 you don't even need to use that word. You just describe what happens and 558 00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:15.829 and the barbarism of it is evident. So I read my three, my 559 00:37:15.030 --> 00:37:20.630 five minutes, whatever, and then was silent and just silent, and then 560 00:37:20.750 --> 00:37:24.989 read the next more gruesome. The baby's older, the the techniques are more 561 00:37:25.030 --> 00:37:31.019 violent and more horrific, and then I was just silent and did that four 562 00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:35.539 times. I think we had four segments and by then you came back and 563 00:37:35.659 --> 00:37:39.099 I got off the MIC and a couple of the counselors, of my fellow 564 00:37:39.179 --> 00:37:44.489 sidewalk counselors who have read this and seen this many times, were crying. 565 00:37:44.530 --> 00:37:50.130 Yeah, and one of them said that was so moving. She said I 566 00:37:50.170 --> 00:37:59.000 I had never really thought about what happens so strongly. That was a really 567 00:37:59.079 --> 00:38:05.239 good technique and it was totally not purposeful and totally against my natural bend. 568 00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:09.159 Right, yeah, but very effective. In our natural band is to just 569 00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:14.590 broadcast the information, fill up the airways with as much information as possible. 570 00:38:15.429 --> 00:38:17.909 But you know, we live in a bullet pointed society. We do think 571 00:38:17.949 --> 00:38:22.829 about it. If you don't give people bullet points, they don't read anything. 572 00:38:22.869 --> 00:38:25.789 You look at social media. If you give someone two paragraphs of a 573 00:38:25.909 --> 00:38:29.659 social media post, they don't read it. Yeah, they miss it. 574 00:38:29.820 --> 00:38:32.460 So it's like the forest is lost for the trees. And so, yeah, 575 00:38:32.500 --> 00:38:37.900 given people bite size nuggets of information to process and given, I'm time 576 00:38:37.900 --> 00:38:40.179 to process, it can be very helpful, even in a one on one 577 00:38:40.260 --> 00:38:45.409 context, when you've shared some truth. You've shared the violent nature of abortion 578 00:38:45.449 --> 00:38:47.329 to an abortion amount of mom who's come over and talked with you and you 579 00:38:47.369 --> 00:38:50.809 said and I'll ask the questions. So what do you think about that? 580 00:38:51.329 --> 00:38:53.650 Yeah, you share the resources that are available, because they've just shared with 581 00:38:53.730 --> 00:38:57.159 you the needs that they have, and you share with them the housing, 582 00:38:57.199 --> 00:39:00.079 Menage, whatever it might be. What do you think about those? Those 583 00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:02.159 and you let them sort through it, you let them process it. Right, 584 00:39:02.639 --> 00:39:07.039 it is helpful and now they will often come to their own conclusion. 585 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:12.789 Now the last one is very similar at but it is different in the in 586 00:39:12.869 --> 00:39:15.630 the fifth one, where being silent to let the words that have been spoken 587 00:39:15.630 --> 00:39:21.150 of time to sink in, to let them process the last major area, 588 00:39:21.670 --> 00:39:25.420 be silent, to let the Holy Spirit work. Yeah, so that's more 589 00:39:25.460 --> 00:39:32.739 than just processing. Now it goes from your action of processing to the holy 590 00:39:32.780 --> 00:39:39.329 spirits action within you, causing conviction and heart change. Yeah, absolutely, 591 00:39:39.409 --> 00:39:45.929 and you know the course any of this. When we're we've decided to speak 592 00:39:45.010 --> 00:39:50.329 some truth and then give those people who've heard that truth time to process it. 593 00:39:50.369 --> 00:39:53.559 It is a sense of US trusting the Lord. It is an understanding 594 00:39:53.760 --> 00:39:58.199 that doesn't matter how why is your words are, how loud they are, 595 00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:01.039 how many of there are. Ultimately it's going to fall to the ground if 596 00:40:01.079 --> 00:40:05.320 the Holy Spirit isn't moving on it. Now again, God's word doesn't return 597 00:40:05.360 --> 00:40:08.309 void in the Holy Spirit work through the word of God, but he works 598 00:40:08.349 --> 00:40:12.469 in the human heart, he works in the human mind and he brings conviction 599 00:40:13.110 --> 00:40:15.269 and you've got to give the Holy Spirit time. And me imagine the Holy 600 00:40:15.349 --> 00:40:21.659 Spirit is convicted someone about a particular subject that you just covered. Let's say 601 00:40:21.699 --> 00:40:24.219 you covered the subject of the sin of abortion and the reality of that, 602 00:40:24.619 --> 00:40:30.219 and then you move on to some other subject. You've basically taken their attention 603 00:40:30.380 --> 00:40:34.260 the contemplation in the conviction of the Holy Spirit and you've shifted it to another 604 00:40:34.260 --> 00:40:37.610 subject. Doesn't mean that God can't move them as but it seems his way 605 00:40:37.809 --> 00:40:42.210 is moving with the subject matter that's before their eyes, with the scriptures that 606 00:40:42.289 --> 00:40:45.610 have been shared with them and in letting them stew and that, letting them 607 00:40:45.610 --> 00:40:51.119 feel that conviction. Yeah, I have an example that shows you how much 608 00:40:51.119 --> 00:40:54.199 damage you can do with that silence, where I had a mom who I 609 00:40:54.440 --> 00:41:02.360 shared about abortion and why it was wrong and and and she had actually changed 610 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:09.389 her heart, but I didn't know it and something that she said in response 611 00:41:09.429 --> 00:41:15.309 I misinterpreted. I was not silent, I wasn't listening carefully, I was 612 00:41:15.429 --> 00:41:19.460 I was doing all the wrong things that we have just outlined that I shouldn't 613 00:41:19.460 --> 00:41:25.420 have done. And she was furious and said I had decided not to abort 614 00:41:25.500 --> 00:41:32.849 my child and you just accused me of whatever it was, of still wanting 615 00:41:32.889 --> 00:41:37.090 to abort the child. And I think ultimately she did, and that was 616 00:41:37.329 --> 00:41:43.369 my fault in a sense. I mean I just I blew it because I 617 00:41:43.610 --> 00:41:46.440 didn't trust that God had worked in her heart when he had. But we 618 00:41:46.519 --> 00:41:52.719 have a couple of great verses. Sorry, sixty two, yeah, okay, 619 00:41:52.840 --> 00:41:55.320 some sixty two, five through six, and this is David the psalmist. 620 00:41:57.480 --> 00:42:01.989 He says, my soul wait silently for God alone, for my expectation 621 00:42:02.190 --> 00:42:07.510 is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, he is 622 00:42:07.590 --> 00:42:12.230 my defense. I shall not be moved. And this is again waiting on 623 00:42:12.309 --> 00:42:14.789 the Lord. Now, of course, this is from our part, in 624 00:42:14.869 --> 00:42:16.500 our hearts, waiting on the Lord. And why you're doing this? You 625 00:42:16.619 --> 00:42:22.260 know the I guess, practical context, as you've just shared some truth with 626 00:42:22.300 --> 00:42:24.739 an abortion outed mom or dad. It's there, yeah, and they're standing 627 00:42:24.739 --> 00:42:28.219 in front of you or they're in the parking lot, you're on a microphone 628 00:42:28.260 --> 00:42:31.690 or whatever. This is a time for you to let them process what you've 629 00:42:31.730 --> 00:42:36.010 just said and for you to pray. This is when you give it to 630 00:42:36.090 --> 00:42:39.090 the Lord, when you say Lord, and this is you praying between you 631 00:42:39.250 --> 00:42:44.320 and the Lord. Lord, please just take what I've just said and may 632 00:42:44.360 --> 00:42:45.760 it penetrate their heart. You know, God moves through his word, but 633 00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:50.480 he also answers the prayers of his people, and this is a time again 634 00:42:50.519 --> 00:42:52.719 for us to trust in the Holy Spirit to do his work, because you 635 00:42:53.159 --> 00:42:57.400 never know what God is doing. I mean, I've seen some of the 636 00:42:58.039 --> 00:43:00.789 outwardly just look like they're hardhearder, they're not listening to what I'm saying, 637 00:43:00.789 --> 00:43:04.869 standing out in the parking lot or whatever. Yeah, but then just try 638 00:43:04.989 --> 00:43:07.469 us in the Lord and I've Seen God just shift them and I thought they 639 00:43:07.510 --> 00:43:13.099 weren't listening, but in reality they were listening, so much so that they 640 00:43:13.179 --> 00:43:16.579 went in. Young men go in and get their girlfriends out and and choose 641 00:43:16.659 --> 00:43:21.300 life. And so it's the holy spirits job to bring conviction. It's your 642 00:43:21.300 --> 00:43:23.340 job to speak the truth, it's your job to know when to be silent 643 00:43:23.380 --> 00:43:28.650 after you've just spoken the truth, and it's the holy spirits job to bring 644 00:43:29.210 --> 00:43:34.889 conviction. That's right. Ultimately, you don't want them to hear your voice, 645 00:43:35.289 --> 00:43:38.929 you want them to hear God's voice, and that happens in their spirit, 646 00:43:40.010 --> 00:43:45.559 taking all this wonderful things that you have spoken and what you know and 647 00:43:45.639 --> 00:43:51.519 let it letting it percolate and letting the Holy Spirit then bring that in their 648 00:43:51.599 --> 00:43:55.110 heart. Yeah, so we hope that we haven't discourage you guys from opening 649 00:43:55.190 --> 00:43:59.710 your mouth. We hope that we didn't tell you, guys, or you 650 00:43:59.789 --> 00:44:01.909 didn't take from this podcast that you just need to be quiet. If that 651 00:44:02.070 --> 00:44:06.110 is he took that. If you took that from it, that's your fault, 652 00:44:06.190 --> 00:44:10.260 not as and we hope that you guys will those who are maybe contemplating 653 00:44:10.340 --> 00:44:14.659 going out to an abortion clinic and being involved in this ministry, that you'll 654 00:44:14.699 --> 00:44:19.059 take that step of faith that you'll get equipped. On our website, sidewalks, 655 00:44:19.099 --> 00:44:22.179 the number four lifecom, there's some stuff on there about what to say, 656 00:44:22.699 --> 00:44:27.010 even some stuff about being silent. We're going to put this out of 657 00:44:27.090 --> 00:44:29.849 the articles. It is already out on okay, so we already have this 658 00:44:29.969 --> 00:44:32.610 out as an article on the sidewalks for life in the equipping articles section. 659 00:44:32.690 --> 00:44:37.050 A lot of good articles there, most of them written by Vicki. The 660 00:44:37.170 --> 00:44:39.039 really good ones are written by me, humbly. I'm just kidding. She's 661 00:44:39.079 --> 00:44:43.400 great at writing these things. They're awesome and you know we're speaking from experience, 662 00:44:43.480 --> 00:44:45.360 right, let us mess up so you don't have to. Yeah, 663 00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:50.039 you know, a wise man it's not just someone that learns from their own 664 00:44:50.320 --> 00:44:53.590 experiences, and even wiser man is someone that learns from someone else's experience. 665 00:44:54.110 --> 00:44:57.789 And you know, we can all do something. As one preacher said, 666 00:44:58.110 --> 00:45:00.269 even the worst of us can serve as bad as bad. A show that 667 00:45:00.389 --> 00:45:02.989 we've shared some of that. Hope. It's been a blessing to you guys. 668 00:45:02.989 --> 00:45:07.460 Hope you will check out our website, www dot sidewalks and number four 669 00:45:07.579 --> 00:45:10.659 lifecom. You can reach out to me d parks at cities for lifecom. 670 00:45:12.219 --> 00:45:15.579 Her At v Costi Organ Cities for lifecom. But until next time, God 671 00:45:15.659 --> 00:45:32.769 bless o love for love. Give me our loft for gratitude. I know 672 00:45:34.090 --> 00:45:43.119 it will cost me my life. Nothing's too precious in some you