The Gift of Peace with God and People

Intro

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Christmas stories by Robert Bentson

“It was the night before Christmas in Chicago. It was a cold, dark night; a blizzard was coming. A little homeless boy was selling newspapers on the corner. He finally walked up to a policeman and said, “Mister, do you know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight? I sleep in a box in the alley and it is very cold. It is the night before Christmas. I sure wish I had a nice warm place to stay.” The policeman told the little boy to go down the street to the big white house and knock on the door. When a lady comes to the door, you just say “,” and she will let you in the house. The shivering little boy ran to the house. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door. A lady came to the door. He looked up and said, “.” The lady said “Come in my son.” She took him inside the warm house and gave him a seat in front of the fireplace. She went into another room. The little boy sat near the fireplace and thought, “…I really don’t understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.” Later she came back and asked him “Are you hungry?” He said, “Well, just a little. I have not eaten in a couple of days.” She sat the boy down at the kitchen table which was full of food. He ate and ate until he was full. As he was eating he thought, “…I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full.”

She took him upstairs to a large bathroom with a huge bathtub filled with warm water. She told him to take a warm bath, put on warm pajamas and rest. As he soaked in the tub, he thought, “ …I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean.” The lady came in and took him to a bedroom. She tucked him into bed and pulled the covers up around his neck. She kissed him on the forehead and turned out the lights. The boy lay there and thought, “…I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested.”

Matthew 2:8–15 NASB95

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way. 13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” 14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

The next morning, Christmas day, the woman came and took him to the kitchen again. The table was full of food. After he ate, she took him back to the chair near the fireplace. She gave him a big wrapped present. He was very excited! He quickly pulled off the ribbons and opened it. He was surprised to find new clothes and a Bible. He happily thought again, “ …I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a lonely boy happy.”

The lady took his Bible and sat down near him. She asked him, “Do you know about ?” He said, “No, ma’am, I don’t. The first time I heard of it was when the policeman told me to use it.” She opened the Bible to , and he read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” She explained to him about Jesus. Right there in front of the big warm fireplace he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He was saved on Christmas day! Now he understood the true meaning of Christmas. He held his new Bible and hugged it as he sat in front of the warm fire. He thought, “. I now understand it, and it sure makes a cold boy feel warm inside. It sure makes a lost boy feel safe.”

Luke 2:8–15 NASB95

8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

In this time shepherds would be considered a lowly occupation. Their job would lead them to be isolated for days and weeks. While their position could lead to ostracization. They tended to be ignored and devalued. Even though they played an extremely important part in the sacrificial system of Israel. They were tending that night to the lambing. These lambs would be used in the passover a few months later. So it is significant that the angels came to them first with the announcement that the true lamb has been born. They didn’t stay isolated. They came and worshipped Him, the new born King. They had been invited and accepted into that holy family. They didn’t have to change clothes or get cleaned up. God wanted them to be part of His life.

You Need of God’s Friendship.

A. Many People Experience Isolation and Loneliness.

First of all, loneliness is a common fact. Now it’s much more common than you may realize. You may think, “Well, only a few people are lonely.” Thomas Wolfe, who is a famous novelist, said, “Loneliness is far from being a rare and curious phenomenon. It is the central, inevitable fact of human existence.” Now that is a big statement. He says it’s not just rare; it is a central and inevitable fact. And Dr. Paul Tournier, who is a famous Swiss psychologist, had this to say. He said, “Loneliness is the most devastating malady of the age.” Now that is a big statement: “the most devastating malady of the age.” And again, Dr. Abraham Maslow, famed research analyst, estimates this amazing thought. Listen to this. Here’s a direct quote from this man: “The truth is that the average American citizen does not have a real friend in this world.” That is what he said. Right or wrong, if he would even say such a thing, we know that we’re dealing with a real, definite experience. And many of those who name the name of Jesus, those who follow the Lord, may be afflicted with loneliness. I was looking at a verse over in Psalms—, verse 16—and the Psalmist said, “For I am desolate and afflicted.” () That’s just another way of saying that he was lonely.

Now, what is loneliness? Well, I want to say that mere solitude is not loneliness. Solitude is good. Have you ever wanted to just get off by yourself? I do sometimes. I heard of a preacher who said, “I don’t want to go to heaven because there will be no partying there; I want to go because there will be no meetings there.” Just to be alone sometimes, that’s good. And many of us don’t want to get off in solitude. Why? Because we have to look God and ourselves in the face. It’s good to have solitude. Many times Jesus would withdraw Himself from the crowds and get alone by Himself. That is a wonderful, wonderful thing. You can be alone without being lonely, right? So we’re not talking about solitude.

We’re not talking about being lonesome. There’s a difference between loneliness and lonesomeness. If you are a traveling salesman, you may be lonesome for your family when you’re away from them. Or when you’re away at school, you may be lonesome—that is, wanting to be back with your loved ones. That’s fine. That’s wonderful.[1]

[1] Adrian Rogers, “God’s Answer to Man’s Loneliness,”

Why does this happen?

Rejection in the past.

Low Self-image.

They become lost in Grief or Suffering.

They have become Self-Centered.

They have become stuck in Sin.

They lack Social Skills in the age of Social media.

B. People suffer when they lack connection to God and People.

a. There will be a Physical and Emotional Toll.

In "Americans, More Than Ever, Are Aging Alone," the Wall Street Journal's Janet Adamy and Paul Overberg report that "Loneliness undermines health and is linked to early mortality — and baby boomers are especially feeling the effects."

Article Baby boomers are the loneliest generation

The big picture: "Baby boomers are ag­ing alone more than any gen­er­a­tion in U.S. his­tory, and the re­sult­ing lone­li­ness is a loom­ing pub­lic health threat."

Show lessBy the numbers: "About one in 11 Amer­i­cans age 50 and older lacks a spouse, part­ner or liv­ing child, cen­sus fig­ures and other re­search show. That amounts to about eight mil­lion peo­ple in the U.S. with­out close kin, the main source of companionship in old age, and their share of the pop­u­la­tion is pro­jected to grow."

"Re­searchers have found that lone­li­ness takes a phys­i­cal toll, and is as closely linked to early mor­tal­ity as smok­ing up to 15 cig­a­rettes a day or con­sum­ing more than six al­co­holic drinks a day.""Lone­li­ness is even worse for longevity than be­ing obese or physically inactive."

B. Separation from God and Others has

Loneliness is as bad for our long-term health as smoking, and we're pretty lonely, according to a new survey from Cigna: 43% of American adults said they always or sometimes lack companionship; 27% rarely or never "feel as though there are people who really understand them;" 19% don't feel there are people they can turn to.

The impact: Among people who said they never have in-person interactions, 50% are in fair or poor overall health, compared with just 12% of those who have daily in-person interactions.

b. There will be a Spiritual toll as well.

C. Coming to Jesus.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 2

8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is bChrist the Lord.

12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men bwith whom He is pleased.”

C. Coming to Jesus.

a. Encourages You. God wants to be your friend.

b. Elevates you. God values you for who you are, not what you “do” or where you’ve been.

I want to give the rest of the story from Chicago. After the boy noted his safety, the woman responds with her thoughts on John 3:16:

I must confess that I still don’t fully understand it either — How God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus gave His life for me. I don’t understand it, but it sure does make a person feel good to know the true meaning of Christmas and life. Without Christ there would be no Christmas or Christianity.

c. Enriches you. You have a friend who will never leave you are forsake you.

Loneliness

God designed you for companionship

Individuality though not bad can be a serious problem if it becomes the apex goal.

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother

📷Photo: Florian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty Images

In "Americans, More Than Ever, Are Aging Alone," the Wall Street Journal's Janet Adamy and Paul Overberg report that "Loneliness undermines health and is linked to early mortality — and baby boomers are especially feeling the effects."

The big picture: "Baby boomers are ag­ing alone more than any gen­er­a­tion in U.S. his­tory, and the re­sult­ing lone­li­ness is a loom­ing pub­lic health threat."

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive Conclusion

Now as we come to the close of the message, I remind you again, Jesus loves you. Not just all of us; He loves each of us. Now you need a friend, but you can never have Jesus Christ as your friend until He’s your Lord and Savior. You need more than friendship with Jesus. You need your sin forgiven. You need to receive Him into your heart and into your life. And when He becomes your friend, it is your duty and your privilege to introduce your Friend to the rest of your friends, and to say, “I’ve found a friend, O, such a friend! He bled, He died to save me; and not alone the gift of life, but His own self He gave me.” And then, all of us ought to say, “Naught that I have mine own I call, I’ll hold it for the Giver, my heart, my strength, my life, my all are His, and His forever.” “They shalt call his name Emmanuel.” But just a few verses before that, Matthew reported that the angel said, “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Now, listen. You cannot say that, “He is with me,” until you first say, “He has saved me.” “Call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” “Call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

Show lessBy the numbers: "About one in 11 Amer­i­cans age 50 and older lacks a spouse, part­ner or liv­ing child, cen­sus fig­ures and other re­search show. That amounts to about eight mil­lion peo­ple in the U.S. with­out close kin, the main source of companionship in old age, and their share of the pop­u­la­tion is pro­jected to grow."

"Pol­icy mak­ers are con­cerned this will strain the fed­eral bud­get and un­der­mine baby boomers’ health."

"Re­searchers have found that lone­li­ness takes a phys­i­cal toll, and is as closely linked to early mor­tal­ity as smok­ing up to 15 cig­a­rettes a day or con­sum­ing more than six al­co­holic drinks a day.""Lone­li­ness is even worse for longevity than be­ing obese or physically inactive."

Loneliness is as bad for our long-term health as smoking, and we're pretty lonely, according to a new survey from Cigna: 43% of American adults said they always or sometimes lack companionship; 27% rarely or never "feel as though there are people who really understand them;" 19% don't feel there are people they can turn to.

The impact: Among people who said they never have in-person interactions, 50% are in fair or poor overall health, compared with just 12% of those who have daily in-person interactions.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive I. Loneliness Is a Common Fact

I. Loneliness Is a Common Fact

First of all, loneliness is a common fact. Now it’s much more common than you may realize. You may think, “Well, only a few people are lonely.” Thomas Wolfe, who is a famous novelist, said, “Loneliness is far from being a rare and curious phenomenon. It is the central, inevitable fact of human existence.” Now that is a big statement. He says it’s not just rare; it is a central and inevitable fact. And Dr. Paul Tournier, who is a famous Swiss psychologist, had this to say. He said, “Loneliness is the most devastating malady of the age.” Now that is a big statement: “the most devastating malady of the age.” And again, Dr. Abraham Maslow, famed research analyst, estimates this amazing thought. Listen to this. Here’s a direct quote from this man: “The truth is that the average American citizen does not have a real friend in this world.” That is what he said. Right or wrong, if he would even say such a thing, we know that we’re dealing with a real, definite experience. And many of those who name the name of Jesus, those who follow the Lord, may be afflicted with loneliness. I was looking at a verse over in Psalms—Psalm 25, verse 16—and the Psalmist said, “For I am desolate and afflicted.” (Psalm 25:16) That’s just another way of saying that he was lonely.

Now, what is loneliness? Well, I want to say that mere solitude is not loneliness. Solitude is good. Have you ever wanted to just get off by yourself? I do sometimes. I heard of a preacher who said, “I don’t want to go to heaven because there will be no parting there; I want to go because there will be no meetings there.” Just to be alone sometimes, that’s good. And many of us don’t want to get off in solitude. Why? Because we have to look God and ourselves in the face. It’s good to have solitude. Many times Jesus would withdraw Himself from the crowds and get alone by Himself. That is a wonderful, wonderful thing. You can be alone without being lonely, right? So we’re not talking about solitude.

We’re not talking about being lonesome. There’s a difference between loneliness and lonesomeness. If you are a traveling salesman, you may be lonesome for your family when you’re away from them. Or when you’re away at school, you may be lonesome—that is, wanting to be back with your loved ones. That’s fine. That’s wonderful.