In CHRIST i am Not Alone

Introduction

Good Morning Redemption!

It was beautiful to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus together last week.

We are now in week three of our sermon series entitled, “In Christ, I am...” [Finding our identity in Christ]

This is such an important series because it addresses every problem we face today as a society, as a culture, and as sinful people.

ONLY WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN CHRIST - DO WE TRULY “FIND OURSELVES”.

When we located in who Jesus is, we are able to find the identity in which God intended in us in the first place.

**Example:

[hold up dictionary] Does anyone know what this is?

It is a dictionary.

When I want to know what a word means, I open this dictionary and define the word.

I don’t say, “What the word means to me”, because effective communication requires that we all use the same thing to define words - a dictionary.

[hold up the Bible] Does anyone know what this is?

This is a Bible.

When I want to define life-things, I open this Bible and find the answer from the God who made EVERYTHING.

We live in a world that wants to create their own definition of life and find they are always searching and they are never fulfilled.

______________________________

Today I want to address loneliness. There are people in this room right now that struggle with loneliness. I want us to see together that

In Christ, I am NOT ALONE En Cristo NO estoy SOLO

I pray that today, we would see ourselves IN CHRIST and allow our mind, and heart, to find that when we are IN CHRIST, we are never alone.

Upfront I want to share with you three gifts Jesus gave that we have with us always.

He gave us Himself - through His birth, life, death, and resurrection. But here are three gifts Jesus gave us:

The Holy Spirit - El espíritu santo

The Holy Bible - La Santa Biblia

His Holy Church - Su Santa Iglesia

Let’s First start with the problem. If you think loneliness is only something you face today, turn with me to the book of Genesis 2:18

Genesis 2:18 NKJV

18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Genesis 2:18 RVR60

18 Y dijo Jehová Dios: No es bueno que el hombre esté solo; le haré ayuda idónea para él.

At some point, we will talk about the helper God gave Adam. But for now, I want us to just look at how God identified something in Adam that He declared was NOT Good.

This was not for God’s benefit - because He was all Adam needed. Rather, Adam needed someone to share the burden and the blessing of all God gave Adam to do.

After the fall, it seems all of Israel, God’s chosen people, were without God’s manifest presence. That is, the presence of God that can be experienced. We see that the Messiah was promised right after Adam and Eve sinned. And so we see in Isaiah 7:14 the promise of Immanuel.

Matthew, in his gospel, made the connection and quoted Isaiah in Matthew 1:23

Jesus, Himself came to be “God With Us” - Restoring the God-connection with man.

We are not restored to God on our own - Rather IN CHRIST.

At the End of Jesus’ ministry, He made a promise to His disciples.

Go with me John 14:15-18

John 14:15–18 NKJV

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:15–18 RVR60

15 Si me amáis, guardad mis mandamientos. 16 Y yo rogaré al Padre, y os dará otro Consolador, para que esté con vosotros para siempre: 17 el Espíritu de verdad, al cual el mundo no puede recibir, porque no le ve, ni le conoce; pero vosotros le conocéis, porque mora con vosotros, y estará en vosotros. 18 No os dejaré huérfanos; vendré a vosotros.

When Jesus ascended, He promised the Holy Spirit to Christians.

In other passages we see the Holy Spirit is in you to:

Lead you into all truth

Convict you of sin

Bear witness of God in you

You are NOT Alone - You have the Holy Spirit No estás solo - Tienes el Espíritu Santo

This can be good for our mind, but until you experience the Holy Spirit in your life, this will mean very little to you.

In the church, we see the Holy Spirit in:

Speaking in Tongues

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Words of Knowledge

Discernment

Conviction of Sin

If you are having a hard time still feeling alone, there is hope.

You are NOT Alone - You have the Bible No estas solo - tienes la Biblia

Psalm 119:105 NKJV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 RVR60

105 Lámpara es a mis pies tu palabra, Y lumbrera a mi camino.

Psalm 119:11 NKJV

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:11 NKJV

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

If you were stranded on a deserted island. No one else around - and if you found the Bible and read the GOOD NEWS of Jesus’ Salvation for us, you would be so excited!

You would experience a relationship with God that many of our distractions today keep us from.

God meets with us through His Word and we could line up devout Christians and one after another would express how they meet with God through His Word.

Lastly (and sometimes the most experiential)

You are NOT Alone - You have the Church No estas solo - tienes la Iglesia

Ephesians 4:1–16 NKJV

1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:1–16 RVR60

1 Yo pues, preso en el Señor, os ruego que andéis como es digno de la vocación con que fuisteis llamados, 2 con toda humildad y mansedumbre, soportándoos con paciencia los unos a los otros en amor, 3 solícitos en guardar la unidad del Espíritu en el vínculo de la paz; 4 un cuerpo, y un Espíritu, como fuisteis también llamados en una misma esperanza de vuestra vocación; 5 un Señor, una fe, un bautismo, 6 un Dios y Padre de todos, el cual es sobre todos, y por todos, y en todos. 7 Pero a cada uno de nosotros fue dada la gracia conforme a la medida del don de Cristo. 8 Por lo cual dice: Subiendo a lo alto, llevó cautiva la cautividad, Y dio dones a los hombres. 9 Y eso de que subió, ¿qué es, sino que también había descendido primero a las partes más bajas de la tierra? 10 El que descendió, es el mismo que también subió por encima de todos los cielos para llenarlo todo. 11 Y él mismo constituyó a unos, apóstoles; a otros, profetas; a otros, evangelistas; a otros, pastores y maestros, 12 a fin de perfeccionar a los santos para la obra del ministerio, para la edificación del cuerpo de Cristo, 13 hasta que todos lleguemos a la unidad de la fe y del conocimiento del Hijo de Dios, a un varón perfecto, a la medida de la estatura de la plenitud de Cristo; 14 para que ya no seamos niños fluctuantes, llevados por doquiera de todo viento de doctrina, por estratagema de hombres que para engañar emplean con astucia las artimañas del error, 15 sino que siguiendo la verdad en amor, crezcamos en todo en aquel que es la cabeza, esto es, Cristo, 16 de quien todo el cuerpo, bien concertado y unido entre sí por todas las coyunturas que se ayudan mutuamente, según la actividad propia de cada miembro, recibe su crecimiento para ir edificándose en amor.

If you were on a desert island - this encouragement from Paul would be a discouragement to you.

Why?

The Church requires many parts - many people - all TOGETHER.

Application - Aplicación

Do you feel alone? Are there times when you feel like you are the only one going through what you are feeling?

Call out to the Holy Spirit

Read your Bible

Don’ forsake fellowship and

Find brothers and sisters that you can confide in and pray with

Do you know people who are feeling alone? Do you know God is calling you to be His experiential presence to the world around you? How do you find your identity in Christ in not being alone?

Submit to the Holy Spirit

It is like a radio station. If you just turn it on, it will just make noise. If you tune into the 89.5, you will hear KMOC -

and if you tune into the Holy Spirit, you will begin to hear Him speaking into your life in all kinds of AMAZING ways.

Read Your Bible

Memorize Scripture

Do devotionals (a form of mentorship)

Listen to the Bible at church and from others

Connect in real ways with the people of God

In Church

In Bible Studies

In Real Life

To receive from them what God gave them for you

To give them what God gave you for them

I want to open an opportunity for prayer today.

You may feel alone

You may know someone who feels alone

You may need to recommit yourself to the Holy Spirit, to the Bible, or to His people

You may have a different need to pray about

Come, let’s pray.