WEBVTT 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:14.179 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.259 --> 00:00:17.480 What do you do when you're consumed with loneliness? 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:20.620 Where do you go when the feelings of isolation 00:00:20.620 --> 00:00:23.719 threaten to choke off your desire to live? Have 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:26.100 you been there? Do you wish there was a way you 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:29.460 could overcome these lonely feelings before they 00:00:29.460 --> 00:00:33.500 overcome you? Hey, there's good news. Let's talk 00:00:33.500 --> 00:00:37.939 about it today. Loneliness isn't just about being 00:00:37.939 --> 00:00:40.920 alone. You can feel utterly isolated in a crowded 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.679 room, disconnected even when surrounded by people. 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:46.700 I'm Dave Drewy, and today on Living on the Edge, 00:00:46.939 --> 00:00:49.460 Chip Ingram tackles this universal struggle head 00:00:49.460 --> 00:00:52.399 on. We're in a powerful series called Experience 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:55.039 Breakthrough, learning how to stop feeling confined 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:58.179 by life's biggest barriers. Today we start with 00:00:58.179 --> 00:01:01.159 perhaps the most painful barrier of all. Here's 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:03.679 Chip Ingram with a message titled, How to Overcome 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:07.760 Loneliness and Isolation. Loneliness. Isolation. 00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:10.340 Remember when you were four or five years old, 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:13.060 it happened to all of us at least once. You looked 00:01:13.060 --> 00:01:15.640 up and your mom was gone. You were in the mall 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:18.480 or the grocery store and that panic, that feeling 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:21.760 that came over you, that's loneliness. Remember 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:23.939 when you were eight, nine, maybe ten and you 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:26.900 went to a new school? You walked in and every 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:29.719 head in that place turned toward you and you 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:32.980 felt like an outsider. Remember the first gym 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:36.140 class you ever went to in junior high? That terrible 00:01:36.140 --> 00:01:38.420 feeling of... Are they really going to make us 00:01:38.420 --> 00:01:43.739 take showers? Do you remember when you hit those 00:01:43.739 --> 00:01:47.260 preteens for some or teens for others and they 00:01:47.260 --> 00:01:49.299 can call it puppy love, but it wasn't to you 00:01:49.299 --> 00:01:51.540 and your heart really got knit to a person of 00:01:51.540 --> 00:01:54.239 the opposite sex and it was this overwhelming 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:57.560 elation? And then do you, can you remember what 00:01:57.560 --> 00:02:01.120 it was like when you got dumped? How lonely, 00:02:01.299 --> 00:02:03.280 how hurt? It was a hurt like you've never known. 00:02:04.299 --> 00:02:06.719 For many, you still know. And for some of us, 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:10.120 It's a memory of being single and yearning, coming 00:02:10.120 --> 00:02:13.439 home to an empty apartment and yearning for a 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:17.000 life mate, yearning to eat dinner with someone. 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:19.580 But there's no one there. And you've been asking 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:22.759 God, but so far he hasn't provided that person. 00:02:23.819 --> 00:02:27.659 One author wrote, it's the most desolate word 00:02:27.659 --> 00:02:31.580 in all human language. It's capable of hurling 00:02:31.580 --> 00:02:35.090 the heaviest weights the heart can endure. It 00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:38.129 plays no favorites, yields no mercy, refuses 00:02:38.129 --> 00:02:42.969 all bargains. Crowds only make it worse. Activity 00:02:42.969 --> 00:02:47.990 simply drives it deeper. Tears fall from our 00:02:47.990 --> 00:02:53.909 eyes as groans fall from our lips. But loneliness, 00:02:54.189 --> 00:02:58.270 that uninvited guest of the soul, arrives at 00:02:58.270 --> 00:03:02.370 dusk and stays for dinner. When's the last time 00:03:02.370 --> 00:03:06.449 you felt like that? Was it this week? What era 00:03:06.449 --> 00:03:09.789 of your life brings back memories of the deepest 00:03:09.789 --> 00:03:14.110 sense of isolation and loneliness? And as you 00:03:14.110 --> 00:03:16.030 think here, just in the quiet of this moment, 00:03:16.169 --> 00:03:21.349 where and when do you feel the pangs of feeling 00:03:21.349 --> 00:03:25.009 like you don't belong, like no one cares, like 00:03:25.009 --> 00:03:29.210 you're not really connected right now? One final 00:03:29.210 --> 00:03:33.710 question. Why? Why do you think? breaking down 00:03:33.710 --> 00:03:37.449 the barrier of loneliness and isolation is so 00:03:37.449 --> 00:03:40.729 critical to have a life that's full, a life of 00:03:40.729 --> 00:03:43.449 real meaning. Well, I'd invite you to join with 00:03:43.449 --> 00:03:46.810 me, and we want to address this together, how 00:03:46.810 --> 00:03:51.669 to overcome loneliness and isolation. It's universal, 00:03:51.870 --> 00:03:54.319 and before... Before we go too far, we better 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:56.199 define what we're talking about because until 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:59.819 loneliness is understood, it overwhelms. Some 00:03:59.819 --> 00:04:02.860 of us think that something's wrong with us, that 00:04:02.860 --> 00:04:05.500 there's this secret problem we have and no one 00:04:05.500 --> 00:04:07.960 really has it like we have it. There's three 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:10.319 concepts when you study the idea of loneliness 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.939 that are critical to understand before we find 00:04:12.939 --> 00:04:16.600 out what God's answer is. The first is that loneliness 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:19.319 is more than being alone. If you look up the 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:22.420 word in Webster's as I did. If you study and 00:04:22.420 --> 00:04:24.579 look at the Hebrew words translated for loneliness, 00:04:24.819 --> 00:04:26.759 as you look at the word loneliness in the New 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:29.600 Testament, what you find is that there's a couple 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.379 different ideas. One is an aloneness or a privateness. 00:04:33.379 --> 00:04:36.399 Jesus went to be alone. It's in a positive context. 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:40.300 They were alone, no problem. But the kind of 00:04:40.300 --> 00:04:43.139 loneliness we're talking about is more than being 00:04:43.139 --> 00:04:47.279 alone. Webster described it as without involving 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:51.949 others, separate. feelings of lonesomeness, desolate, 00:04:52.089 --> 00:04:56.389 a yearning for companionship, unfrequented, to 00:04:56.389 --> 00:04:59.829 be separated, to be disconnected. You can be 00:04:59.829 --> 00:05:02.490 lonely in a crowd thinking of this group and 00:05:02.490 --> 00:05:05.250 praying about what to share. You know, the loneliest 00:05:05.250 --> 00:05:07.790 feeling I've ever had in this church, I didn't 00:05:07.790 --> 00:05:10.310 know hardly anyone, and there weren't near as 00:05:10.310 --> 00:05:11.949 many people then, but there were hundreds of 00:05:11.949 --> 00:05:14.209 people this picnic, and they were laughing and 00:05:14.209 --> 00:05:16.389 throwing frisbees and having fun and having a 00:05:16.389 --> 00:05:19.139 great time, and I'm the new pastor. And I walked 00:05:19.139 --> 00:05:22.500 around all these faces that I didn't know. And 00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:26.699 I felt like I was in a glass box, like plexiglass, 00:05:26.699 --> 00:05:30.879 walking around. And I didn't belong. And I didn't 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:34.120 fit. And I didn't know anyone. And people kind 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:36.040 of came up and gave us sort of smiles and hi. 00:05:36.699 --> 00:05:39.240 And I just had this overwhelming feeling like 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.100 I just wanted to run out of there. But I couldn't. 00:05:42.100 --> 00:05:46.839 I was the pastor. And I was in a huge crowd where 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:50.680 I was supposed to belong, but I didn't. I remember 00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:53.199 coming home from that picnic and being as depressed 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:56.579 as I'd been since I'd been here. And you know, 00:05:56.600 --> 00:05:58.699 the fact of the matter is there's people in this 00:05:58.699 --> 00:06:01.740 room right now. You had that experience when 00:06:01.740 --> 00:06:04.180 you come to church. You know, you're a believer, 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:06.060 but you feel like you're walking in a little 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:09.319 glass box and you get a smile here and a pleasantry 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:11.959 here. You're not connected. You don't feel like 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:13.639 someone really cares. You don't feel like you 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:15.579 really belong. You don't feel like if something 00:06:15.579 --> 00:06:17.939 happened to you, someone would bleed emotionally. 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.000 You see, being alone is a lot more than just 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:27.000 not having people around. It's not being relationally 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:30.300 connected in a meaningful way. Well, you might 00:06:30.300 --> 00:06:31.720 say, well, you know what? I don't have that problem. 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:34.720 Henry Cloud, in his book, Healings That Change, 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:39.009 says there's eight to ten symptoms. of loneliness 00:06:39.009 --> 00:06:41.689 that people don't identify with loneliness. But 00:06:41.689 --> 00:06:43.750 when we don't feel connected, we cover it up. 00:06:44.709 --> 00:06:48.589 He gave a few examples. He said often depression, 00:06:48.990 --> 00:06:52.410 feelings of meaninglessness, feelings of badness 00:06:52.410 --> 00:06:56.649 or guilt, a sense of distorted thinking, no one 00:06:56.649 --> 00:07:02.170 wants to be around me, addictions, fantasy, excessive 00:07:02.170 --> 00:07:04.850 caretaking. Some of the loneliest people take 00:07:04.850 --> 00:07:07.079 care of everyone. You know why? Because they 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:09.480 can't stand the fact that no one's really reaching 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:12.399 into their life. And some of us have such distorted 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:14.879 thinking, we don't think anybody wants to. And 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:16.500 when we aren't connected to people, we feel bad 00:07:16.500 --> 00:07:18.819 because we assume the reason we're not connected 00:07:18.819 --> 00:07:22.120 is there must be something bad about us. If you 00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:24.860 feel pangs of loneliness, there's nothing wrong 00:07:24.860 --> 00:07:28.040 with you. There's nothing wrong with you. It 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:31.060 means you're human. It means you have legitimate 00:07:31.060 --> 00:07:34.000 needs. It means God really wants to care about 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:37.439 you. Loneliness is more than being alone and 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:41.220 loneliness wears many masks. We cover it up in 00:07:41.220 --> 00:07:44.680 a lot of different ways. Some people make a friend 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:47.040 out of a bottle. Some people make a friend out 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:50.420 of a pretend fantasy person. Some people make 00:07:50.420 --> 00:07:54.879 out a friend out of ESPN or romance novels. Loneliness 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.470 wears many masks. Third thing you need to understand 00:07:58.470 --> 00:08:01.170 about loneliness, it's not a unique malady, but 00:08:01.170 --> 00:08:04.170 it is a universal reality. It's not something 00:08:04.170 --> 00:08:06.870 that only rich people have a problem with or 00:08:06.870 --> 00:08:09.370 poor people or outgoing people or shy people 00:08:09.370 --> 00:08:12.449 or very intellectual people or average people. 00:08:12.949 --> 00:08:15.629 In fact, my favorite quote in my research, Albert 00:08:15.629 --> 00:08:18.290 Einstein. You know what Albert Einstein said? 00:08:18.470 --> 00:08:23.790 He said, it is a strange phenomenon to be so 00:08:23.790 --> 00:08:29.579 universally known. And yet to be so lonely. See, 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:31.860 we think people have it together because they're 00:08:31.860 --> 00:08:36.019 famous or wealthy or well -known or popular or 00:08:36.019 --> 00:08:38.399 have an outgoing personality or seem to have 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:41.980 friends. Loneliness is a part of what I struggle 00:08:41.980 --> 00:08:45.220 with, you struggle with. Every person on the 00:08:45.220 --> 00:08:48.879 earth struggles with this ache, this sense that 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:51.919 they don't matter. That they're isolated and 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:53.759 that they're alone. In fact, this is the only 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:57.600 problem I can find in Scripture that God alone 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:01.200 has chosen not to solve by himself. You ever 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.139 think of that? Genesis chapter 1, before sin 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:06.820 entered into mankind, before there was a problem, 00:09:06.940 --> 00:09:10.220 perfect environment, here's Adam. It never rains. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:13.679 Plenty of food. He's never bored. He can talk 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.519 to God whenever he wants. But did you notice 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:19.559 there's a problem that God can't solve? Not that 00:09:19.559 --> 00:09:21.620 he couldn't if he didn't want to, but he made 00:09:21.620 --> 00:09:25.980 you and he made me to have this need to be connected 00:09:25.980 --> 00:09:29.259 meaningfully with other people. And so do you 00:09:29.259 --> 00:09:31.360 remember what he said when he saw Adam? It is 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:36.259 not good for a man to be alone. See, loneliness 00:09:36.259 --> 00:09:38.679 isn't bad. It's not a permanent state, but it 00:09:38.679 --> 00:09:42.000 lets you know, it lets me know that life was 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.100 meant for community, that life was meant for 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:46.620 relationships, that life was meant for us to 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:50.730 be together. And not in some superficial go through 00:09:50.730 --> 00:09:53.049 the motions, but to be together in such a way 00:09:53.049 --> 00:09:56.629 that things come out of your heart into the lives 00:09:56.629 --> 00:09:58.649 of others and things come out of their heart 00:09:58.649 --> 00:10:01.470 into yours in such a way that you matter and 00:10:01.470 --> 00:10:03.970 they matter. And God will do a lot of things 00:10:03.970 --> 00:10:05.850 for you in your life. He'll minister directly, 00:10:06.110 --> 00:10:08.450 directly. He gives grace. He gives his word. 00:10:08.649 --> 00:10:11.889 He gives his spirit. But there's some ways where 00:10:11.889 --> 00:10:14.169 the only way you experience God's love is not 00:10:14.169 --> 00:10:17.419 directly. It will be indirectly. It'll be through 00:10:17.419 --> 00:10:20.620 the touch of a person, through the words of a 00:10:20.620 --> 00:10:25.620 friend, through the prayers of a group. You're 00:10:25.620 --> 00:10:28.360 listening to Living on the Edge. More from Chip 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:31.000 Ingram in just a moment. But first, if today's 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:33.519 teaching is resonating with you, don't keep it 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:35.919 to yourself. You can easily share this message 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:39.179 with friends and family by visiting livingontheedge 00:10:39.179 --> 00:10:42.539 .org. There you'll find not only today's program, 00:10:42.779 --> 00:10:45.139 but an entire collection of biblical resources 00:10:45.139 --> 00:10:47.360 designed to help you experience breakthrough 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:50.779 in every area of life. It's all available at 00:10:50.779 --> 00:10:54.720 livingontheedge .org. Well, let's continue with 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:58.220 Chip's message. The question is, if we all have 00:10:58.220 --> 00:11:00.960 this need, if you can be lonely in a crowd, if 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:03.059 it wears many masks and we all struggle with 00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:06.480 it, how in the world do we overcome loneliness 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:10.320 and isolation? And I'm excited to tell you that 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:13.539 God has a game plan. Let me give you four reasons 00:11:13.539 --> 00:11:16.019 why you don't have to be lonely. First, you don't 00:11:16.019 --> 00:11:20.320 have to be lonely because God cares about your 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:23.279 loneliness. I mentioned it in passing. Genesis 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:26.940 2 .18, the Lord God said, it is not good for 00:11:26.940 --> 00:11:29.759 the man to be alone. I will make him a helper 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:33.899 suitable for him. That word helper means corresponding 00:11:33.899 --> 00:11:36.500 partner. That word helper is actually used in 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:39.500 the Psalms of God. He uses this word for himself. 00:11:39.899 --> 00:11:42.799 It means one who will complete, one who will 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:45.159 provide companionship, someone who will make 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:48.580 a team, someone who creates a place where you 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:53.679 belong. God knows your deepest feelings of loneliness 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:57.649 and he cares. He understands what you think when 00:11:57.649 --> 00:11:59.690 you lay awake at night with your hands behind 00:11:59.690 --> 00:12:01.750 your head. He knows what it's like when you take 00:12:01.750 --> 00:12:03.490 a walk on the beach and you feel like no one 00:12:03.490 --> 00:12:05.549 really understands. He knows what it's like to 00:12:05.549 --> 00:12:08.149 be a single mom or a single dad and to drop your 00:12:08.149 --> 00:12:10.250 kids off in visitation and get back in the car 00:12:10.250 --> 00:12:12.509 and feel this ache inside. He knows what it's 00:12:12.509 --> 00:12:14.889 like to be a teenager or a young person or a 00:12:14.889 --> 00:12:18.470 single person with this deep craving desire to 00:12:18.470 --> 00:12:21.470 be connected. And you're praying and it seems 00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:24.379 like nothing's happening. He cares about your 00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:27.299 loneliness. And can I suggest he wants to solve 00:12:27.299 --> 00:12:31.320 it. Perfectly in this life? Never. It's not a 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:36.500 perfect world. But he wants to move in. He cares. 00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:39.120 And he's all -knowing and he's all -powerful. 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.460 And if he cares, then he can do something about 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:44.299 it. Second reason that you don't have to be lonely 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:46.360 and I don't have to be lonely is Jesus understands 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:50.509 your loneliness. Mark 15. Verse 34, it says, 00:12:50.610 --> 00:12:53.250 and at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud 00:12:53.250 --> 00:12:55.909 voice. He's on the cross. Very end of the Gospels, 00:12:55.909 --> 00:12:59.509 end of his life. Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani, 00:12:59.509 --> 00:13:03.029 which means, my God, my God, why have you forsaken 00:13:03.029 --> 00:13:05.529 me? Now, there's some major theology going on 00:13:05.529 --> 00:13:07.169 here. If you ever wondered why Jesus said that, 00:13:07.210 --> 00:13:09.889 let me explain it. Before the foundations of 00:13:09.889 --> 00:13:13.029 the earth, God created you as a relational being. 00:13:13.429 --> 00:13:15.610 Before the foundations of the earth, he knew. 00:13:16.190 --> 00:13:19.350 That sin would enter the world and cause a division, 00:13:19.450 --> 00:13:21.669 a breakdown in relationship between God and man. 00:13:22.169 --> 00:13:24.490 Before the foundations of the earth, the Godhead, 00:13:24.610 --> 00:13:26.669 the triunity, God the Father, God the Son, God 00:13:26.669 --> 00:13:28.549 the Holy Spirit, they had a council meeting. 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:31.529 And they decided that God the Son would come 00:13:31.529 --> 00:13:34.330 and take on human flesh and be fully God, fully 00:13:34.330 --> 00:13:37.750 man, and live a perfect life on the earth so 00:13:37.750 --> 00:13:39.889 you would understand, so I would understand. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:43.059 What God's love is like, what His holiness is 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:45.700 like, how He feels and how He thinks and how 00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:48.320 much you matter. And then at the end of His life, 00:13:48.379 --> 00:13:51.000 He would be the ultimate payment. Totally sin 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:54.779 free, He would hang on a cross and He would absorb 00:13:54.779 --> 00:13:58.179 the just wrath of God and the full penalty of 00:13:58.179 --> 00:14:01.620 your sin and my sin as our substitute, our sin 00:14:01.620 --> 00:14:04.519 offering. You might jot down 2 Corinthians 5, 00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:08.360 21. It explains that. And as He hung on the cross, 00:14:09.149 --> 00:14:11.649 And God the Father willfully allowed his son 00:14:11.649 --> 00:14:14.149 to be the sacrifice who did nothing to deserve 00:14:14.149 --> 00:14:17.250 it, but took on your sin, my sin, the penalty 00:14:17.250 --> 00:14:20.009 and the guilt of it. And God poured out his wrath 00:14:20.009 --> 00:14:24.070 and placed that sin as a payment on Christ. When 00:14:24.070 --> 00:14:27.370 sin came upon the son, the father turned his 00:14:27.370 --> 00:14:30.629 head and turned away. And relationship was broken 00:14:30.629 --> 00:14:33.809 between a holy God and in that instantaneous 00:14:33.809 --> 00:14:36.919 moment when the son took on sin. And that's why 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:40.940 Jesus prayed, my God, my God, we don't understand 00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:43.500 the pain there. We can't fathom the pain. You 00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:45.320 think you've been lonely? You think you've been 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:48.440 abandoned? You think you've been let down? Jesus 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:51.720 understands he was abandoned, righteously so, 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.879 by the Father. Where are the 12 disciples? They 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:57.159 abandoned him. He came to his own, the Jews, 00:14:57.259 --> 00:14:59.500 and what? They received him not. They abandoned 00:14:59.500 --> 00:15:02.279 him. Jesus understands what it's like to be low. 00:15:02.809 --> 00:15:04.929 Hebrews 4 .15 says that we don't have a high 00:15:04.929 --> 00:15:06.889 priest that can't sympathize with our weaknesses, 00:15:07.070 --> 00:15:10.509 but he, like us, has been tempted in every way 00:15:10.509 --> 00:15:14.129 yet without sin. He understands what it's like 00:15:14.129 --> 00:15:17.350 to be frustrated in marriage and be lonely. Because 00:15:17.350 --> 00:15:19.629 he was married? No, because he was fully human 00:15:19.629 --> 00:15:22.470 and knows that ache. He understands what it's 00:15:22.470 --> 00:15:25.750 like to be unfulfilled, to feel like on the outside 00:15:25.750 --> 00:15:28.919 looking in. He understands everything that you 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:31.519 feel in the realm of loneliness. God not only 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:35.419 cares, but Jesus completely understands. Because 00:15:35.419 --> 00:15:38.200 he understands, there's a third reason we don't 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:40.460 have to be lonely. The third reason is Jesus 00:15:40.460 --> 00:15:43.000 invites you into a relationship with him. This 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:45.980 is a great passage. This passage is so different 00:15:45.980 --> 00:15:48.299 than all about what I learned of God growing 00:15:48.299 --> 00:15:51.259 up. Jesus in Matthew 11, 28 through 30 says, 00:15:51.460 --> 00:15:54.600 listen to this, arms open. Come, come to me. 00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:59.279 all who are weary and burdened, and I will give 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:01.799 you rest. Doesn't loneliness make you feel that 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:04.179 way sometimes? Don't you just feel weighed down? 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:06.320 Isn't it amazing that when you feel connected 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:08.259 with people, you feel like you can charge through 00:16:08.259 --> 00:16:10.779 a wall no matter what? But when you feel isolated 00:16:10.779 --> 00:16:12.980 and lonely, I don't know about you, but I've 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:14.860 got no motivation. I just feel like I can't make 00:16:14.860 --> 00:16:18.120 it. So what's Jesus say? Come. You feel weary? 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.879 Feel burdened? Feel like the weight of the world's 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:23.919 on you? Come to me. I'll give you rest. Then 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:27.919 notice the offer. Take my yoke upon you and learn 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:30.279 from me. Says you got a big load to pull in life. 00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:33.779 Would you like me to have a yoke and allow you 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:36.980 to be hooked here and me to be hooked here? And 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:40.000 would you like to go through life with me since 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:42.720 I know all things, since I have unlimited resources, 00:16:43.139 --> 00:16:46.639 since I love you unconditionally, since I want 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:49.679 to care about you and fulfill the deepest desires 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:52.200 that I've placed in your heart? He says, come, 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:55.019 take my yoke. And it's a process, isn't it? Learn 00:16:55.019 --> 00:16:56.820 from me. Why do we learn from him? Notice the 00:16:56.820 --> 00:16:59.419 two adjectives. I am gentle. The word means power 00:16:59.419 --> 00:17:03.360 under control. I'm power under control and humble 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:06.259 of heart. That word means vulnerable, approachable, 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:11.420 nonjudgmental. And you will find rest for your 00:17:11.420 --> 00:17:13.680 souls. Do you ever think maybe it's time to quit 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:16.059 hustling and bustling and trying to impress people 00:17:16.059 --> 00:17:17.779 and look this way and get this way and get this 00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:19.559 and gain this and earn that and have this and 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:22.640 do this and hope your kids have this? Have you 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:25.240 ever just wondered what it'd be like to have 00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:29.859 rest for your soul, to be clean, to be forgiven, 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:32.539 to have the God of the universe put his arm around 00:17:32.539 --> 00:17:35.789 you and say, I love you just how you are? And 00:17:35.789 --> 00:17:38.009 in ways that you can take a little at a time, 00:17:38.069 --> 00:17:41.250 I'll teach you and love you and help you become 00:17:41.250 --> 00:17:43.950 all that I designed you to be. Notice how it 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:46.230 ends. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 00:17:46.569 --> 00:17:49.269 See, a lot of us grew up with a view of God and 00:17:49.269 --> 00:17:51.730 God's got his arms crossed and he's got his finger 00:17:51.730 --> 00:17:53.750 out. You better get with it. There's a lot of 00:17:53.750 --> 00:17:54.970 rules to keep. You're not keeping the rules. 00:17:55.049 --> 00:17:56.150 You better do this. You better do that. You better 00:17:56.150 --> 00:17:58.390 do this. You better do that. And our view of 00:17:58.390 --> 00:18:01.930 God is so distorted. The God of the Bible has 00:18:01.930 --> 00:18:05.119 arms open. Come. Do you have to surrender? Sure. 00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:07.519 Do you have to let up on your own agenda? Sure. 00:18:07.980 --> 00:18:09.839 But let me ask you, how are you doing running 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.240 your life? Filled with anxiety? Struggling in 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:15.779 relationships? No matter how much you get or 00:18:15.779 --> 00:18:18.500 how much I get, it never satisfies us? Wouldn't 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:20.980 it be wise to come? And I don't know how this 00:18:20.980 --> 00:18:23.259 works, but even as I'm talking, a little light 00:18:23.259 --> 00:18:25.279 goes on inside your heart. The Holy Spirit's 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.099 moving all throughout this room. And a little 00:18:27.099 --> 00:18:28.740 light's going on in some of you because he brought 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:31.039 you here just for today because he wants to have 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:34.960 a connection, a relationship. See, it's the offer 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:38.079 of relationship. And he's saying to you, I'm 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:39.960 standing at the door of your life. I don't care 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:42.079 where you've been. I don't care what you've done. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:45.119 I don't care who you've hurt. I don't care the 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:47.079 sin that's so grievous to your heart and you 00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:50.140 feel so guilty. I've come. And when I died on 00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:54.000 the cross, I paid for it. Come to me. If you 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:55.819 don't have a relationship with Christ, if you're 00:18:55.819 --> 00:18:59.500 not 100 % sure that if you died, because it's 00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:01.079 going to happen to all of us sometime, somewhere. 00:19:02.089 --> 00:19:05.089 Jesus is inviting you. I'd like to solve your 00:19:05.089 --> 00:19:08.210 loneliness problem. I'd like to forgive you. 00:19:08.670 --> 00:19:10.950 The moment you pray and say, Lord Jesus, come 00:19:10.950 --> 00:19:12.750 into my life. I believe when you died on the 00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:14.990 cross, it was for me and my sins are forgiven. 00:19:15.329 --> 00:19:18.029 The moment you pray and receive him as your savior, 00:19:18.069 --> 00:19:20.670 the Holy Spirit will come into your life. He'll 00:19:20.670 --> 00:19:23.170 take up dwelling place. The Bible says you'll 00:19:23.170 --> 00:19:25.430 be sealed in the spirit. You'll be adopted as 00:19:25.430 --> 00:19:28.430 one of his sons or daughters. You'll have power 00:19:28.430 --> 00:19:31.930 over sin. You'll still struggle. You'll have 00:19:31.930 --> 00:19:34.829 freedom from the penalty of sin. You'll have 00:19:34.829 --> 00:19:37.210 new relationships. You will move into a whole 00:19:37.210 --> 00:19:40.130 new arena. Will it be easy? Oh, of course not. 00:19:40.670 --> 00:19:43.970 Live a holy, pure life in a fallen world with 00:19:43.970 --> 00:19:45.869 the flesh and the enemy? Of course it won't be 00:19:45.869 --> 00:19:49.509 easy. But is your life easy now? Mine's not. 00:19:49.829 --> 00:19:52.869 But you can go through it with someone. Look 00:19:52.869 --> 00:19:55.789 at 1 John. I want you to see this relationship 00:19:55.789 --> 00:19:58.369 between being in relationship with God and therefore 00:19:58.369 --> 00:20:00.509 in relationship with other believers. By the 00:20:00.509 --> 00:20:01.829 way, that's the theme of the book of 1 John. 00:20:03.470 --> 00:20:05.750 The apostle writes, that which was from the beginning, 00:20:05.789 --> 00:20:08.049 which we have heard, which we have seen with 00:20:08.049 --> 00:20:10.690 our eyes, speaking of Christ, which we have looked 00:20:10.690 --> 00:20:12.390 at and our hands have touched. He's saying this 00:20:12.390 --> 00:20:15.490 is real. This we proclaim concerning the word 00:20:15.490 --> 00:20:19.470 of life. The life appeared, Jesus. We have seen 00:20:19.470 --> 00:20:22.609 it and testify it. And we proclaim to you the 00:20:22.609 --> 00:20:25.109 eternal life which was with the Father and has 00:20:25.109 --> 00:20:27.089 appeared to us. The Gospel. Great. Now get the 00:20:27.089 --> 00:20:30.410 next two verses. We proclaim to you that we have 00:20:30.410 --> 00:20:33.029 seen and we have heard. Notice the purpose clause. 00:20:33.289 --> 00:20:39.089 So that you also may have fellowship with us. 00:20:39.509 --> 00:20:42.369 I would have expected him to say what? So you 00:20:42.369 --> 00:20:44.289 can have fellowship with God. He doesn't say 00:20:44.289 --> 00:20:48.380 that. So you, we've proclaimed it. When we share 00:20:48.380 --> 00:20:50.200 the gospel, it's so people can have fellowship 00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:54.440 with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:59.859 with His Son, Christ Jesus. We write this to 00:20:59.859 --> 00:21:03.880 make our joy complete. Do you get that? Once 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:07.539 you're related to God, you are now organically 00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:10.319 related to other believers all over the world. 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:13.900 And have you picked this up yet? Have you figured 00:21:13.900 --> 00:21:18.140 this out about life? that joy is not a target 00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:21.500 or a thing that you can try to achieve, but that 00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:24.559 joy is a byproduct of relationships, period. 00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:28.839 You know, you ought to write that down, and if 00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:30.859 you learn that, it'll transform how you live 00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:32.960 life. See, there's a lot of people that think 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.119 success will bring them joy, and then they're 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:37.380 successful and it's empty. They think getting 00:21:37.380 --> 00:21:39.440 something, earning something, achieving something, 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:41.900 being something, dressing a certain way, having 00:21:41.900 --> 00:21:44.630 a certain house, driving a certain car. They 00:21:44.630 --> 00:21:46.089 think it'll bring them joy, and what happens? 00:21:46.490 --> 00:21:50.230 It's like the old cat chasing its tail. You bite 00:21:50.230 --> 00:21:53.150 into it only to find out it certainly wasn't 00:21:53.150 --> 00:21:57.309 what you expected. See, joy is a byproduct of 00:21:57.309 --> 00:22:00.230 relationships with one another and with God. 00:22:02.670 --> 00:22:05.349 This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, 00:22:05.450 --> 00:22:08.309 and we're in our series called Experience Breakthrough. 00:22:08.589 --> 00:22:11.089 Chip will share one more thought in just a moment, 00:22:11.109 --> 00:22:13.839 so stay with us. If you're looking for practical 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:16.519 ways to deepen your relationship with God, let 00:22:16.519 --> 00:22:18.940 me point you to a helpful resource. It's chips 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:22.140 -free, 10 -day devotional called Psalms of Hope. 00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:25.500 These ancient psalms address exactly what we're 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:28.140 talking about in this series. How to find stability 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:30.960 when life feels chaotic. How to stay connected 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.740 to God when you feel alone. And how to discover 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:36.339 genuine community in a world that often feels 00:22:36.339 --> 00:22:40.119 isolating. Access Psalms of Hope completely free 00:22:40.119 --> 00:22:44.660 at livingontheedge .org. Just search for Psalms 00:22:44.660 --> 00:22:48.160 of Hope and begin your journey today. Now, every 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:50.759 resource we create, including this free devotional, 00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:53.740 exists because friends like you choose to invest 00:22:53.740 --> 00:22:56.519 in this teaching ministry. Your partnership allows 00:22:56.519 --> 00:22:59.119 us to reach people around the world who are desperate 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:02.180 for biblical truth. If God is using Living on 00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:04.240 the Edge in your life, Would you prayerfully 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:07.839 consider giving today? Give online at livingontheedge 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:10.759 .org or send your gift in the mail to Living 00:23:10.759 --> 00:23:16.619 on the Edge, PO Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. 00:23:17.140 --> 00:23:19.720 You can also call and give over the phone at 00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:24.940 888 -333 -6003. Also check out our new feature 00:23:24.940 --> 00:23:27.539 on the Living on the Edge podcast. We call it 00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:30.319 the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast, presenting each 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:32.839 of Chip's sermons unedited from beginning to 00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:35.599 end. You can find these episodes right alongside 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:39.019 our regular broadcasts on your podcast app. Just 00:23:39.019 --> 00:23:42.220 search for Living on the Edge. Well, now here's 00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:45.099 Chip with more on overcoming loneliness. Before 00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:47.460 we go any farther, if you prayed with me today, 00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:50.640 I want you to do a couple things right now. If 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:52.339 you're driving, obviously do this when you get 00:23:52.339 --> 00:23:56.019 home. But first, tell the best Christian you 00:23:56.019 --> 00:23:58.579 know that I just prayed to receive Christ as 00:23:58.579 --> 00:24:01.099 my Savior today. And then second, I want you 00:24:01.099 --> 00:24:03.940 to go to the internet at livingontheedge .org. 00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:07.480 That's one long word, livingontheedge .org. That's 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:09.839 our website. You're going to find a wealth of 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:11.839 information. We're going to give you the beginning 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.720 steps of how to grow in your relationship with 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:17.619 Christ. If you don't have internet access, you 00:24:17.619 --> 00:24:24.200 can call 1 -888 -333 -6003. And finally, please 00:24:24.200 --> 00:24:26.180 let me know if you made that decision today. 00:24:26.299 --> 00:24:28.940 It is an amazing encouragement to all of us here 00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:31.329 at Living on the Edge to hear your story. You 00:24:31.329 --> 00:24:33.509 can email it to us or even give us a call on 00:24:33.509 --> 00:24:40.130 the phone at 1 -888 -333 -6003 and tell us what's 00:24:40.130 --> 00:24:42.630 going on in your life. We want to hear how God 00:24:42.630 --> 00:24:45.690 is working in you. God's solution to loneliness 00:24:45.690 --> 00:24:48.670 might surprise you. I'm Dave Drewy, inviting 00:24:48.670 --> 00:24:51.069 you to discover the answer tomorrow on Living 00:24:51.069 --> 00:24:56.750 on the Edge. Today's program is produced and 00:24:56.750 --> 00:24:58.670 sponsored by Living on the Edge.