Living with Loneliness
Living with Loneliness
1 Kings 19:4-18; Romans 11:2-6
LONELY PEOPLE IN A CROWDED AND LONELY WORLD
Max Lucado records this Mini-Biography. The epitaph did not give the dates of her birth or death. It included only her name, the names of her two husbands:
Sleeps, but rests not.
Loved, but was loved not.
Tried to please, but pleased not.
Died as she lived -- alone.
She is not particularly unique!
Listen to our music and hear the lonely voices crying out:
Carole King: Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you got to do is call, and I’ll be there.
Paul McCartney: All the lonely people, Where do they all come from? All the lonely people, Where do they belong?
Elvis Presley: Just take a little walk down lonely street to heartbreak hotel.
James Taylor: Do me wrong, Do me right. Tell me lies but hold me tight. Save your good-byes for the morning light. But don’t let me be lonely tonight.
Bonnie Rait: What can I do to get back to you. I’m feeling desperate and lonely.
Sting: Seems I not alone at being alone. Hundred million castaways searching for a home.
The experts on loneliness are not psychologists, census officials or poll analysts. They are people across America who are living with loneliness.
· From a crowded night club, to a neighborhood bar and grill
· from a health club to a crowded mall
· from a third shift job on an assembly line to a computer terminal
· from a rundown house, to the well-manicured lawn
Holidays à particularly hard time – suicide rates go up
Prison – worst punishment is solitary confinement
LONELINESS VS. SOLITUDE
· Jesus regularly sought out solitude à temptations, etc.
· Great people of faith – all sought out solitude (Wesley and others)
· Introverts – recharge batteries à but extroverts need it as well à
·
LONELINESS: A REALITY CHECK: 1 KINGS 19
Elijah great man of God, burst on the scene in 1 Kings 17, No rain, raise a dead boy, in 18 great victory for God. Everything was going his way, he was the man, he prays and the rain returns, he beats a chariot on foot, this guy is plugged into the power…
James 5:17, “Elijah was as man just like us”
And how true that is, on the heels of the al these successes come personal calamity. READ 1 Kings 19:1-18
And he goes from a Great Victory right into a great valley, from feeling the power of God and the love of the people to feeling loneliness beyond compare.
There are folks here this morning in this room full of people who are feeling all alone. I have some step for you to take.
1. Realize That God Understands
Heb 4:14-16, “That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.” NLT
Jesus understands what it is like to be alone, to feel abandoned…disciples left him, those who had been healed and delivered were no where to be found, the very people that cried out “Hosanna in the Highest” are now yelling “Crucify Him” talk about abandoned and alone. And beyond that there was the rejection and isolation for the Father…
Author Max Lucado writes vividly of the abandonment of the Son on the cross as he bore our sin:
"Here is the cup, my Son. Drink it alone."
God must have wept as he performed his task. Every lie, every lure, every act done in shadows was in that cup. Slowly, hideously they were absorbed in the body of the Son. The final act of incarnation. The spotless Lamb was blemished.
The King turns away from his Prince. The undiluted wrath of a sin-hating Father falls upon his sin-filled Son. The fire envelops him. The shadows hide him. The Son looks for his Father, but the Father cannot be seen.
"My God, my God…why?"
It was the most gut-wrenching cry of loneliness in history, and it came not from a prisoner or a widow or a patient. It came from a hill, from a cross, from a Messiah.
"My God, my God," he screamed, "why did you abandon me!"
Never have words carried such hurt. Never has one being been so lonely. The despair is darker than the sky. The two who have been one are now two.
Jesus knows your pain and your isolations and he is there with you which means your not as alone as you think or feel you are! Which leads us to #2…
2. Realize That God Is There
Ezekiel 48:35, gives us an important name of God, Jehovah Shamah, “The Lord Is There” it speaks of His omnipresence, His ability to be every where at once.
Psalm 139:7-18 “Where can I go from your Spirit?” à
American Indian – boy’s 13th birthday – spends night in woods (thinking he is alone) – Father is there all the time à
Can you think of any better way for a child to learn how God allows us to face the tests of life? God is always present with us. God’s presence is unseen, but it is more real than life itself.
You may not see Him you may not feel Him, but standing right beside you at every moment is you loving heavenly Father, He is there, He will always be there, Jesus said I will NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU! NEVER LEAVE YOU!
3. Realize That God Has Placed You In A Family
Coach Carter is the true story of Ken Carter (Samuel Jackson), a successful sporting goods store owner, who in 1999 became head basketball coach for his old high school in a poor area of Richmond, California.
Dismayed by the attitudes of his players and their dismal performance on the court, Carter sets out to change both. He immediately imposes a strict regime that includes respectful behavior, a dress code, and good grades as a prerequisite of participation.
One particular player, Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez), initially refuses to accept the coach’s demands and quits the team, only to return later with a desire to be reinstated. Timo asks Coach Carter what he has to do to play. Carter informs Cruz that he must complete 2,500 push-ups and 1,000 suicide drills by Friday—a task even the coach calls "impossible."
By Friday, Timo is short of both goals. Coach Carter, though impressed with what Timo has done, asks him to leave the gym. He has failed.
Suddenly, one of Timo’s teammates, Jason (Channing Tatum), who previously had a personality conflict with Timo, steps forward saying, "I’ll do push-ups for him. You said we’re a team. One person struggles, we all struggle. One player triumphs, we all triumph. Right?" As Coach Carter stands speechless, Jason drops to the floor and begins doing push-ups. One by one the entire team begins to join in to help Timo reach his goal.
4. Accept the love and support of God
Where Does God’s Love and Support Come From:
His Word- there are a promises upon promises
His Spirit-He is always with us.
His People-
Little girl with one arm and “Here’s the Church” story à
Conclusion:
The devil wants you lonely, isolated and in despair, But Jesus wants you connected and receiving care!
Geneology 1 Chron, notice all the names, notice God’s attention to detail. This tells me if He took the time to have all these names recorded, that He knows your name too!
Jesus is with you, He will never leave you or forsake you. You are not alone.