The Fear Of Loneliness, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ joining us today on this additional fellowship in the work of pastoral Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. One.

Pastoral Gebhardt now once again he shows us how God's word years ago, the New York Times ran an article titled Facebook in the crowd was written by man named Hell night, Becky and he wanted to investigate the whole Facebook phenomena and he started a Facebook account, and he started with some people he knew when and then it began to growl and much to his surprise it kind of grew and grew and grew and up yet about 700 people who were now his new Facebook friends and he wrote that maybe I underestimated my social abilities but he what he wanted to do was to undertake and prove that these digital acquaintances of his could become real friends of his, and so he came up with this idea.

He invited all of them to a party that he would pay for at a local bar in Manhattan. He asked him to check one of the three boxes, one attending to. I may be attending. Three.

Not attending and then he said that he watch the early returns as if it were election night and he was a little disappointed, but what he ended up with as he had 15 people who check the box they were attending and then he had 60 who said they may be attending.

And so he modestly expected to get about 40 people, which would have been about right for the location of the barn Manhattan. Well, he walks into the neighborhood bar and he waited. No one showed up for a while. Many, many waited and then no one showed up for a while so I waited a little bit longer and and then a real nice lady. I walked in and introduced herself and she was not one of his friends but she was one of the friends of one of his friends and so they made some small talk and he said in about two minutes became very awkward and so she got up and she left so he said he said by himself until midnight and anyone home. He wrote this 700 friends and I was drinking alone. He then concluded his article by saying our world is filled with bustling crowds of lonely and isolated people and he's right. We have a new phobia.

This phobia is called auto phobia. It's not the fear of cars. It's the fear of being alone and sometimes the most unlikely people experience tremendous amount of anxiety about loneliness. Anne Hathaway and Oscar-winning actress confess this, she said, loneliness is my least favorite thing about life. The thing that I am most fearful of is just being alone without anybody to care for someone who will care for me. Speaking of former president Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger said this the essence of this man is loneliness.

Albert Einstein. He said it is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely Ernest Hemingway of all people said I live in a vacuum that is as lonely as a radio tube when the batteries are dead and there's no current.

The plug-in Marilyn Munro said sometimes I think the only people who stay with me and really listen are people that I hire and people that I pay contemporary actor Mary Estevez concludes this he says this will all of these devices that keep us connected and yet were more disconnected than ever before. Why is that pastor David Jeremiah response and says that disconnectedness and loneliness has spread like a disease in our world where most people live without the support of the community where the Internet replaces face-to-face conversation with the average job last only two years where people often move from state to state for marriage to marriage in this age of technology the possibilities of being alone have increased exponentially secular envoy, a digital password specialty company in England did a survey and found out that 66% of those who live in the United Kingdom have a genuine wine fear of the possibility of finding themselves without their cell phone. By the way, that has started a another phobia. The new phobia is called no homophobia and that means the fear of being phoneless. Remember the old song from funny girl. People people who need people are the luckiest people in the world. I think I would amend that.

I think people who need people were the only people in the world. By the way, that's not my opinion that Scott, one of the first things God ever says about us as human beings.

It's not good for man to be alone. Not good low toe to big negatives in Hebrew. It is not good.

Absolutely not good that man should be alone. Loneliness is part of the fall. Loneliness is all through the word of God. Think of some of the examples.

Imagine the spiritual loneliness of Noah is aware. Yes, he had his family around him. He did, but remember this, and I know he built a boat. I know he did, but also said in Scripture that Noah preached and proclaimed for faith in the Lord himself. He was a preacher. It said he preached 420 years so don't be impatient with me this morning that hundred and 20 years young.

The converse he had zero hundred and 20 years, zero, just imagine what he experience about Hagar, through no fault of her own. She has a little boy named Ishmael and she's put out, and it says that she is put out into the desert and it said in Scripture that she even despaired of life. There how lonely do you think she felt Joseph his brothers sold him into slavery. He needs from a big family and then he spent 17 years in Egypt, either in prison or as a slave. Moses growing up in Pharaoh's household right in the center of all the activity of the busiest place on earth and he spends 40 years from the age of 40 to 80 in the in the land of Midian tending sheep.

Just imagine what he experienced. David David writes more about the concept of loneliness than anyone, and David especially felt loneliness when he was running for his life from Saul was trying to hunt them down and kill a lot of his own jealousy for David. David wrote this for example in Psalm 142 look at my right hand and see for there is no one who acknowledges me, refuge has failed me. No one cares for my soul. Loneliness were created to be lonely and we don't like to be lonely when I want to do this morning as I went to look at a man who experience some real loneliness right at the end of his life and he is also Amanda told us to imitate him as he imitates Christ that man is the apostle Paul, would you open your Bibles to second Timothy chapter 4 second Timothy chapter 4, wherein a series of what I call personal fears, the kind of fears that we all have, but it's kind of personal we've dealt with the fear of uncertainty, and then we said, the fear of serious illness or disease and last time we dealt with the fear of failure but I want to talk about the fear of loneliness. Paul was experiencing and were going to begin.

Eventually, in verse nine, Paul was experiencing what I would call forced loneliness by whatever prison does is counterforce loneliness. The apostle Paul was put in a Roman prison for the second time.

This time the apostle Paul knows you're not getting out. The last time he was pretty hopeful that he would get out any did, but this time he knows he's not getting out.

The man was going to make a decision about Paul Weatherby. Executed are not is Nero, and Paul knows that Nero hates Christianity, and of course with the fame that the apostle Paul had. He knew that his fate was sealed. Nero's hatred was epic. I've said in the past that one of the things that Nero would do with Christians as he would bring him to his palace when he was having a garden party and then cover them in pitch or tar and then like them while they were alive for to like the garden area why he and his guest with nine. He also did something else I found this week that I had not read before he would take Christians alive and he would sell them to animal skins and then because the animal skin would the animal skin itself would attract the lion they would put those people in the Coliseum and then allow the lines of term, the pieces this is Nero. I wasn't saying there's no question about that and that's why Paul knew this was his last stop. Nero is not going to let them out but is also in a pretty particular place.

John Phillips writes this about where Paul is. He said Paul was in the Maritain prison.

He was stripped of his outer garments and left naked except for his tunic.

Paul was then taken over into a trap door in the floor. The door was lifted and ropes were passed under his armpits and he was lowered into the terrible Pollyanna him dungeon when Paul's feet touched the floor was about a 12 foot drop. By the way the ropes were drawn up the trap door was slammed into the place and I was winded the virtual dark.

He said in Paul's day, the name of the dungeon was only spoken of in whispers. It was a black kid a hole in the ground. It was damp and chilly. The bed was a clump of still damp straw before was heaped with Phil. There was a spring at least but the air was file food was lowered to the prisoners in time to time, welfare to keep the body and soul together and perhaps see kids getting up thin sour wine prisoners had been known in this prison to be eaten by rats while they were still alive.

That's where he was the Romans then incarcerate you.

By the way they did give you sentences like five years 10 years if you were put in prison. You were either waiting at trial you are awaiting execution. It was one of the other.

Paul's case, it is execution. Forced loneliness by the way, we have that our side subsided only what happens when you're spouse of 45 years lies is forced loneliness. There is forced loneliness in our culture.

Military families know what forced loneliness is see the idea that, all of a sudden you get it you get to be stationed somewhere else. In rugby you have to go someone's alone divorce can often cause forced loneliness is just forced upon us, and sometimes near the end. Just like with Paul. People find himself in forced loneliness. We call those places by the way convalescent homes and it's interesting that when you visit convalescent homes.

One of the saddest aspects of the law was not there failing health. It's just how lonely they feel how they would just want somebody to talk to see is an amazing thing.

How lonely so many people feel. I remember that some time ago. I think it was in strengthening your grip checks when doll talked about that didn't come across the an article about a newspaper in Kansas. A man once a newspaper put in the want ads and he said I will listen without comment to you over the phone for 30 minutes for five bucks in the paper the edited papers that he thought was a hoax.

He said, but within a short time.

The man said he averaged 10 to 20 calls a day. What does that say about people swing doll then writes.

He says the pain of loneliness was so sharp that some were willing to try anything for 1/2 an hour of what they thought was companionship. Loneliness is a serious matter.

By the way, more and more of us are going to be experiencing it in 1950, 10% of all American adults live by themselves today over 30% of all American adults live by themselves. They said by 2025 to be 50% of all Americans live by themselves miss a lot of loneliness. Now the contributions the pause. Loneliness is obviously's in prison. But there's more to it.

Look in his despair. By the way I know is only because of what he says in verse nine, he's writing to Timothy, his young protégé make every effort to come to me soon make every effort to come to me soon Timothy, please, not one of the reasons he's lonely is not just that he's in prison, but because some people have left him.

He says for Dimas has loved this present world and has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

Dimas was also a Ron Paul is one of the team. He's mentioned in the book of Colossians is mentioned in Philemon. Both of those written about five years earlier, but apparently when they saw what was going on with Nero was going with Paul Dimas decided he'd love the world more than you love Paul which also implies something else you love the world more than you love the Lord and he decides he's going to go to Thessalonica and I think the reason we went to Thessalonica. Of all the cities at that time there was little persecution in Thessalonica you see the other cities around that area large Jewish population. They were persecuting Christians and the Romans were tuber Thessalonica safe haven. I believe that's why Dimas went there but he had deserted Paul and caught the light bowl is the Greek word, it means to abandon someone or leave them helpless and then he says Christians has gone to Galatia probably sent by Paul back to the churches of Galatia, Titus, we have a little epistle called a pastoral epistle to Titus.

He is in Dalmatia that's just by the way north of Macedonia, northern Greece politics and him and then he says only Lucas with me about the way he's not saying that this white only Lucas with me like the reason I'm so lonely only have look.he met Luke's the only one there whenever he can be with Paul loose a special person. I let her know if you realize how special he is. He's the only Gentile that writes the New Testament book every other book in the New Testament is written by Jews, but not Luke and not ask. Luke writes those he's the only one with Paul and then he says pick up John pickup Mark which is really John Mark and bring him with you. He is useful for service.

By the way, that's up pause when a typical man there. I believe that's Paul's apology. Men are good at that when men are sorry. Sometimes, I nevertheless am sorry they just simply act as though something's changed and you'll get it if you really look closely you back to acts chapter 13. They go on the first missionary journey part Barnabas and Paul were together they take a young man named John Mark with John Mark gets cold feet. He realizes boy this is old, not exactly what I bargained for, and he leaves and apparently goes back probably either to Antioch or go back to Jerusalem. He leaves to go on a second journey and Barnabas says the Paul Paul John Marx to become of us and also know is not and he said no is coming and they get an argument now this is interesting.

These are two more spiritual men in the world at the time and they get in an argument about this and so they decide to separate they go to different ways because of John Mark and Barnabas takes John Mark with them and Barnabas was right. John Mark turned out to be a wonderful man. In fact John Mark is the one who wrote the gospel of Mark, probably with Peter's dictation and so this is Paul saying would you find John Mark and bring him. He's useful to me is the I think is Paul's apology and then he says, but to be as I have sent to Ephesus and so you have all of these people into PS as a servant. He was mentioned in Romans 12 that contributed to parsimonious the prison. The absence of people and then in verse 13 physical discomfort. He says when you come bring the cloak which I left the trial.

As with carpets. Another cloak is very important to Paul as I said earlier, he would probably be stripped out of everything but his tunic. This is a very cold and very damn place and will find out a moment the winners coming the cloak is all wool and it's extremely heavy.

It would look today. A lot like a poncho. In other words ever slid and it need to put your head through it and where that way is a coat which could also take it off and use it as a blanket and so Paul says look I left the cloak control as now. It's believed by the way that Paul was probably arrested intro as which is on the coast of Turkey and then taken to Rome. So says the Timothy, when you come bring the cloak which I left intro as with carpets and the books. The books of the papyrus scrolls really that's what is talking about, and I'm sure what they probably are is portions of the Old Testament portions of the Old Testament are written on papyrus and I'm sure the pause that I want those and then he also says something else. He says especially the parchments. The parchments are completely different there that development. Those are made out of animal skins. A real long process and are extremely expensive. Now some of speculated maybe had some of the sayings of the Lord and that's what I'm not sure I kind of agree with John MacArthur and a few others that say that what they parchments probably were were blank.

They were skins that Paul had and he rolled on those and he said bring those out. I want somewhere I have some more writing to do with the Lord lets me here long enough, by the way the Lord did not. Paul never wrote anything else after the road second Timothy so you have this idea of the prison. The people would left the physical discomfort he has little to do. There's not a lot to do. By the way solitary confinement. There's not too much you can do there and or something else. He has real enemies. Verse 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm.

The Lord will repay them according to his deeds be on your guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching Alexander the coppersmith is exactly that there's a possibility that he made copper idols. It's also possible that he was intro as when Paul got arrested and it's also possible that he was really instrumental in Paul getting arrested something else. We kind of know about them though is that he may have stayed and tries, but he also may be in Rome because Paul warns Timothy and says today and be on your guard against him. He is a real enemy, by the way, you gotta love Paul at the Endo what he says there he said he did me much harm will repay them according to his duties practice what she preaches vengeance is mine says the Lord, I will repay public after the Romans don't take vengeance on anyone. Paul wasn't taking our vengeance and Alexander the coppersmith this morning bathroom. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember the little great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio program, had Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make his broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website SBC Nola.org that SBC Penn of LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds of pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series you're looking for or you can search by title.

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