Healing the Pandemic of Loneliness
“As a society, we do little to support emerging adults at precisely the time when they are dealing with the most defining, stressful decisions of their lives related to work, love, and identity. Who to love? What to be?”
“We need to return to an idea that was central to our founding and is at the heart of many great religious traditions: We have commitments to ourselves, but we also have vital commitments to each other, including to those who are vulnerable.” —From a Harvard study of loneliness in America
BEing the Church looks like:
- When the church service is over—You
- When the check is paid—You stay at the
- When the tears stop flowing—You keep on
According to Harvard’s study 1 in 3 believe:
They have needs in your life and no one to
They have hurts to share and no one to
They have love to give and no one to
For young adults 18-25 this number jumps up to 61%
“They Endure
I. This is not God’s
Gen 1:1 NIV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
A. God Said:
-Let there be light, Light was good.
-Created Day/Night, Land/Water, It was good.
-Stars, Plants, Fish, Birds, It was all good.
-Then … God said something
Gen 2:18; 22-23 NLT 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. 23 “At last!” the man exclaimed.
B. God is perfect
-God didn’t create us because he was
-God created us because He is
Acts 2:46-47 NIV 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
C. More than physical proximity they were seeking
II. Fundamental
A. The first-century believers desperately needed each other, and they
B. Believers today desperately need each other, and we have
-Our culture is designed for autonomy and independence, to do life with as little intimacy as possible.
-People are intentionally pursuing a life that
III. A Piece of the solution is
A. A gathering of
Phil 1:7 TPT… You have a permanent place in my heart! You have remained partners with me in the wonderful grace of God.
1. Because of God’s grace it is a safe place where you
2. You are welcome with your questions, doubts, hurts, addictions, baggage, depression.
B. A gathering of
1. Confess to God for forgiveness. Confess to people for healing.
James 5:16 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
C. A gathering of
Acts 2:46-47 46 Every day they continued to meet together … They ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God … And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
-
-Show
-Be
-
-
When the service is over — We stay in the room.
When the check is paid — We stay at the table.
When the tears stop flowing — We keep hugging.
We go that little bit farther than our society expects of us. And each time we got a little bit further we reach someone who is lost in a sea of loneliness and little by little we turn the tide.