Title: God’s Antidote To Loneliness
Text: 1 Kings 19:1-4; 8-10; 13-14; 18
Introduction:
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 human as we are”
And how true that is, on the heels of the al these successes come personal calamity. READ vv1-4
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
God is there, right there and in the moment, unlike guys and TV and the game there but not there…
One tribe of native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods. By himself. All night long.
Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many.
After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.
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 Forake 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 & Support Of God
Where Does God’s Love and Support Come From:
1-His Word- there are a promises upon promises
2-His Spirit-He is always with us. The Paraket, another of the same kind
3-His People-
After an accident in which she lost her arm, a girl named Jamie refused to go to school or church for an entire year. Finally the young teen thought she could face her peers. In preparation, her mother called her Sunday school teacher and asked that he not call attention to Jamie. The teacher promised, but when he got sick on Sunday and had to call a substitute, he forgot to tell the second teacher.
At the conclusion of the lesson that day, which was about inviting friends to church, the sub led the class in doing the hand motions to the familiar children’s poem:
Here’s the church
Here are the people
Open the door
See all the people.
Jamie’s eyes filled with tears. A 13-year-old boy realized how she must be feeling. He knelt beside her. With one hand apiece, they supported each other, making the church, steeple, and people. Together they illustrated what real church is.
Conclusion:
The devil wants you isolated & 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.
