April 6, 2013 - Church at Worship

Sermon: "Loneliness: Isolated in a World of People" Part 6 - Dangers, Toils, & Snares- Randy Roberts

Pastoral Welcome: Shirley Ponder

Children’s Feature: Shawna Campbell

Child Dedication: Nathan Edward Javor- Randy Roberts1
Alexandra Christal Anne Seheult- Randy Roberts2

Meditation:

I think we are a very lonely populace; we are cut apart from each other. – George Gallup

People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges. – Joseph Fort Newton

It seems strange to be known so universally, and yet to be so lonely. – Albert Einstein

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible type of poverty. – Mother Theresa

Responsive Reading: (from Psalm 25:16–21, TNIV;Psalm 68:4–6, NLT; Luke 5:16, TNIV) Lynae Bakland, Phil Heavrin

Sermon Notes:

Someone has said that loneliness is the sense of not being meaningfully connected to
another human being. Do you know that experience? Bearing that definition in mind,
we realize that it is possible to be in a sea of people, and yet still be lonely. On the other
hand, it is possible to be in solitude and not be lonely.

In fact, many biblical personalities experienced significant solitude. Moses spent forty
years in the wilderness, tending sheep. David grew up doing the same thing. Paul spent
time in the wilderness in preparation for what God planned to do through him. Elijah sat
by a brook waiting for God to tell him what came next. Yet none of these individuals appear to have experienced any significant degree of loneliness.

So what do we do about our loneliness? How can we nurture meaningful relationships
with others, on the one hand, and yet not fear solitude, on the other? How does the Bible
speak to our loneliness?

To such matters we turn out thoughts today.

Randy Roberts
Senior Pastor

Note: Baptism and Child dedications are in the Extras section in the DVD