FACING ISOLATION AND LONELINESS
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Luke 4.1-14
Luke 4.1-14
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Introduction: Can you picture with me a middle-age man who sits alone at the breakfast table. This morning, he brewed only two cups of coffee—he used to brew four. He has a new title, and it has come long before he expected it to be his—widower.
A college freshman checks her mailbox hopefully, only to find it disappointingly empty. She longs for connection from friends back home with whom her world seemed to revolve around only weeks before.
An elderly woman sits in a chair in the one room that has now become her home. She’s reduced a lifetime of possessions that each carried a memory to just a few significant items that she has arranged in her room. She patiently looks out the window hoping to see a familiar car pull into the parking lot.
A man in the prime of his life, with talent, and strength, and readiness to work finds that days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months waiting for the phone to ring saying that they want him. The loneliness of unemployment can be understood completely, it seems, only by those who are experiencing it.
Even those that we think should be most “connected” are often those that struggle with the reality of loneliness.
One does not necessarily have to be apart from others to experience Loneliness…
Albert Einstein said, “It is strange to be known so universally, and yet to be so lonely.”
Illustration: ABC News reported that a nine-year study by researchers at the University of California showed that loneliness has a greater impact on the death rate than smoking, drinking, eating, or lack of exercise. The study found that people who felt isolated and alone had a death rate twice as high as those with strong social ties.
Isolation was the first thing that God recognized was not good.
18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
At the heart of loneliness is the desire to be connected. It is a longing to hear a word from someone, to be seen as significant, to be recognized, remembered, counted, and known.
At the heart of loneliness is the desire to be connected. It is a longing to hear a word from someone, to be seen as significant, to be recognized, remembered, counted, and known.
What to do when you are alone:
What to do when you are alone:
I. Recognize That You Are There by God’s Design- Luke 4:1
I. Recognize That You Are There by God’s Design- Luke 4:1
“Was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”
Andrew Murray was the great missionary to South Africa. He knew what it was like to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit when in difficult, trying, wilderness settings when he felt like he was all alone. Listen to what he wrote:
He brought me here. It is by His will I am here. I will rest in this. He will keep me here in His love and give me grace to behave as His child. He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends for me to learn. In His good time, He will bring me out again—how and when He knows. So let me say, I am:
Here by God’s appointment.
In His keeping.
Under His training.
For His time.
Asking, why is seldom fruitful, even though it is a perfectly human response. It is also an acceptable response so long as we don’t demand an answer. However, acceptance of God’s design is always beneficial, even when the circumstances and outcomes are yet unclear.
When God removes from us those sources that we recognize as good, He is doing so for a purpose. It is not to be permanent; it is to be purposeful.
Listen to the surprising passion chronicled in the Mark passage.
Turn and Read-
11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
Moses, thought he would free the Hebrews from their bondage and the next day he was driven to the wilderness of Midian.
Elijah thought he was leading a revival in Israel after his meeting on Mount Carmel, then found himself fleeing deep in the wilderness for hiding.
Paul finally came to an understanding of the true Christ( Acts 9) and was prepared to serve God when he was driven to the wilderness of Arabia for 3 years.
Note: All of these wilderness experiences were by God’s design. God permitted the isolation and the temptation, and He designed its very place.
Recognize that you are there by God’s design….
II. Rest in Who Is There with You, Rather Than Regret Who Is Not-Luke 4:1
II. Rest in Who Is There with You, Rather Than Regret Who Is Not-Luke 4:1
“Being full of the Holy Ghost.”
One of the blessings of finding yourself in the wilderness is the recognition of Who is with you.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, Thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: Therefore will I give men for thee, And people for thy life.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; Thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, The putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Quote this verse with me.
Quote this verse with me.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
It really does make a difference who is on your team.
It really does make a difference who is on your team.
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Recognize that you are there by God’s design…
Rest in Who is there with you rather than regret who is not…
III. Realize That There Are Some Times of Loneliness and Trial That Only You and the Spirit Can Understand
III. Realize That There Are Some Times of Loneliness and Trial That Only You and the Spirit Can Understand
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: Forsake not the works of thine own hands.
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
We see only three of the temptations listed for our benefit. However, Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness before we see these three temptations.
God certainly understood that we didn’t need to know all about these other temptations, but we did need to know about the three.
There are some things that must be borne by no other than by you and the Spirit.
The loneliness of unemployment is a loneliness that, at times, few can share with you. The thoughts and feelings that it brings upon us are often understood by no one else at the time of our isolation.
The loneliness of relationship problems….the loneliness of a child/grandchild chasing the world…..the loneliness of financial struggles…the loneliness of death, sickness….
Recognize That You Are There by God’s Design
Recognize That You Are There by God’s Design
Rest in Who Is There with You, Rather Than Regret Who Is Not
Rest in Who Is There with You, Rather Than Regret Who Is Not
Realize That There Are Some Times of Loneliness and Trial That Only You and the Spirit Can Understand
Realize That There Are Some Times of Loneliness and Trial That Only You and the Spirit Can Understand
IV. Rejoice That Usefulness Follows the Loneliness of the Wilderness
IV. Rejoice That Usefulness Follows the Loneliness of the Wilderness
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
We must submit ourselves to this progression. That is, usefulness follows the wilderness.
Usually, we are prepared to tell the Lord when enough is enough and when we are prepared for His usefulness. This is never His pattern. He alone knows when our wilderness is to conclude and our usefulness is to begin.
Joseph’s life is a study of isolation, loneliness, and uncertainty.
· He was cast into a pit in the wilderness.
· He was sold to serve Potiphar as a common slave in a foreign land.
· He was lied about and cast into the prison and left to rot.
· He was passed-over by the butler who forgot to mention him to Pharaoh.
· And finally, he was placed in the position of power because God had finally brought him out of the wilderness.
Joseph expressed the desire to come out of the wilderness of loneliness and isolation.
14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
God didn’t do it just as Joseph had planned, but God did bring him out. When was the turning point for Joseph? Maybe when his hope turned only to God instead of to the butler.
Satan’s goal is to deplete your power, while God’s design is to magnify His power in you. The times of separation and isolation and battles with the giant of loneliness can be for a much higher purpose and a time of preparation for future power.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Are you finding yourself at a point in life where you seem to be battling the giant of loneliness?
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Hope is our “joyful expectation” that we will see His face, and it will brighten ours.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him For the help of his countenance.
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Do you see how looking at the face of God could brighten yours?
Do you see how looking at the face of God could brighten yours?
Do you find yourself currently in an isolated, lonely, wilderness situation?
Will you trust Him, in the wilderness of uncertainty and even doubt, to know that you are there by His design and He will bring you out at His good time, endued with power and with great usefulness?
Will you trust Him, in the wilderness of uncertainty and even doubt, to know that you are there by His design and He will bring you out at His good time, endued with power and with great usefulness?