Amen so Hebrews chapter 13 tonight. The title of the message is never alone never alone
And I really appreciated the fact that you know, we sang some song the first song we sang this morning or this evening rather
Was how can I be lonely?
So sometimes write a sermon I wonder you know
Is this really what I should be preaching and then that happens and I think man
This is exactly what I need be preaching
So I believe that God does do that type of thing from time to time to kind of confirm things for us
So anyway the certain like I said that the title of sermon is never alone
And he begins there in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 1 it says let brotherly love
Continue he says be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entered
entertained angels unawares
Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and as and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body
Marriage is honorable and all the bed undefiled that whoremongers and adulterers. God will judge
Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he has said I will never leave thee
Nor forsake thee. So of course verse 5 there is a very precious promise. It's the same thing
It's quoting what was God said to Joshua before he went in the Promised Land
Telling you to be strong and of good courage and he told him, you know
You need to be strong you need to be courageous because of the fact that I am never going to forsake you that I am going
To be with you and really that's something that we need to apply in our own lives today because of the fact that
We get lonely, you know, you know different seasons in life, you know, maybe we're here tonight and we say I'm not lonely
Everything's great. Well, you know, there's probably people in the room that are lonely
Whether they actually are physically alone in life from time to time or the vast majority of time
maybe even inwardly, you know somebody with a family can
feel alone at times or
so we should never
Keep excuse me
so we should never feel like
You know, although we're not lonely today that that might not be something that comes to us later in life
We're gonna go through these seasons of loneliness in our life
And of course, you know the holiday season kind of has that stigma of you know
This is a very trying time for some people and I'm sure that it is and when I was writing this I thought well
I remember having heard you know
That the holiday season is when that the suicide rates spike because of depression it's actually the complete opposite that's it
That's a myth
It's actually when it's the lowest
So but that's not to say that people still don't struggle with
Depression during this time of year time when people are coming together with family people are spending time with loved ones
Often we might find ourselves, you know
missing somebody that used to be part of our lives or we find ourselves not having many people to spend that that precious time with
That dear time with and we start to feel lonely
So I thought this would be an appropriate sermon for the year and just to remind us that you know, we're never alone
I was thinking about even today like I mentioned earlier announcements when I'm walking down the streets
I was going door-to-door by myself, but you know, I was you know
You could get a little lonely when you're out there doing it by yourself
I thought about you know
Our own pastor who when he started this church spent a lot of time knocking doors by himself or just with his young children
And you know, I don't know if that was the case for him
But I could definitely see how a person in that position could start to feel
Lonely and say I'm the only one, you know, where is everybody else?
Why am I doing this and I'm reminded of that as I was out there today, and I just thought to myself
Well, you know the Lord is with me, you know
We're out doing his work and that's that's something that we should take to heart
And again, maybe it's not gonna apply to you this evening
but I guarantee if you live long enough there's gonna come a time in your life or you're gonna feel alone and
We need to know where these passages are and understand these promises from the Word of God
Such as this one where God says I will never leave thee nor forsake thee
So what's interesting here is that God, you know, you see several other relationships in this passage
You got that ever mentioned. Of course, you see in verse 1 let brotherly love continue, right?
He says there, you know, you know, that's something that we should have in this life. You know, that's a source of fellowship
That's a source that would help us deal with loneliness to some degree is if we have you know brothers and sisters in Christ
That's a very important relationship
He also mentions in verse 4, you know the marriage, you know, so marriage is honorable and all, you know
That could be a big cure for a lot of people's loneliness. You know, they're they're moving through life
Single and they're feeling alone. Well, you know marriage gives you that fellowship. It gives you that companionship that man needs to have
But really even in those situations if you have those things
It still doesn't offer you the opportunity that having that
companionship with Christ has
And all these relationships we understand the brotherly love and in the marriage God can be glorified through those relationships
but not I don't believe to the degree when you have a
Relationship a close walk with the Lord you are giving God glory on a regular basis
You know the closer we are to God the less lonely we feel and not only that but that relationship
affords you the opportunity to give God glory and
Really, you know, that's that's not something you can necessarily find to the great the same degree as in a friendship
or in a marriage even
So it is a relationship, you know
Like all others like all other relationships and the relationship that we have with God can be taken for granted
I mean do we not sometimes take for granted our brethren in Christ?
That's why it says there let brotherly love continue. Don't stop it. Don't you know, don't prevent it from happening
Because we can't take those relationships for granted. We can't take one another for granted in Christ
Even in a marriage people can you know get used to each other they can you know, they can you know
Just be around each other so much that they just kind of you know
She he knows she's stuck with him and she knows that he's stuck with her that it's for life
And we can just start to say well, you know, they're stuck with me, you know, and they're they're they're
They're they're just gonna be there no matter what we can start to take these relationships for granted and our relationship with God is no
Different it's a relationship like any other relationship
And I know that that's kind of a term that we shy away from
And these type of churches because it gets thrown around so much. I have a relationship with God, you know
But you know, there is some truth to that right? We do have a relationship. We have a father and son relationship
We have a child and father relationship with God
We have a friendship with Christ. We are he is our Savior that is a relationship. There's no doubt about it
But
That relationship like all others can be taken for granted
They can say well I'm saved and I know that and just move on with their lives and not take the time to give God
The glory that we could be giving him if we would just stop and think about it
We could start to throw a pity party and we could start to feel really bad and start to you know
Feel really alone and never and what you're doing that you're taking you're you're just showing how that you're taking that relationship for granted
That you really don't understand how close God really can be to you
Rather than sitting around and feeling sorry for ourselves and feeling alone. We should take that opportunity to draw closer to Christ
So here's the thing about a loneliness, you know, God does not want us to be alone
God does not want us to feel lonely. We all know in Genesis chapter 2. It is not good for the man to be alone
God said it is not good for a man to be alone. God wanted a helping for him
God didn't want him Adam living his life
By himself God didn't want him getting lonely
The Bible, you know speaks highly of marriage and that's an important relationship
He says let thy fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of thy youth
So we know that God doesn't want people to be alone
And we understand that and many of us in this room, you know, we've taken that step we are married
We have rather we have brethren in Christ
We have a family here a church family, but despite that even sometimes people will find themselves feeling alone
And even those that have you know family can become to come to feel very distant and families get broken up families
They have rifts in them families
Start to drift apart, you know, what we you know
Something that we are family that we were very fond of at one point can can change, you know
I know that's been true in my own experience and
I'm sure many in this room can attest to that as well
So these relationships, you know, we today we feel great today. We're not alone today. We have many friends today
We have a great church
But there might come a time when we do begin to feel lonely and it's at those times
We have to understand something. We're never alone. We're never alone. We always have the Lord don't take that for granted
And others will feel spiritually alone at times we might feel like well, we're the only one taking the stand
We're the only one that's standing up for Christ
We're the only one
You know at the workplace or in our family or wherever it might be that's standing alone for God and we feel alone
Well, you know, that's that's par for the course. Sometimes sometimes you have to go through that
But you have to remember that even in those times you're never alone
And those times we should probably reflect on other, you know
Men of God other Christians other of God's children that went through such trying times where they might have felt alone
I mean you think Moses fleeing Egypt
We just read over these stories. We forgot that was an actual human being that went through that
They came up in Pharaoh's house saw his brethren being mistreated went out and tried to help them
Maybe went about it the wrong way
You know, I know first-degree murder is the best thing to commit and to try and sway people
But that's what he did, you know in his heel and he finds himself rejected of his own people
You know and and and and has to flee
Into a foreign land. I mean leaving the land that he grew up in to go wander around
you know and sit in the backside of some desert and
Do that for many years, you know
He probably had some nights on that journey where he felt pretty alone
Like he was the only one you think of Joseph another person who probably experienced a great deal of loneliness
His own brethren taking him and throwing him in a pit and then selling him into bondage. I
Mean how what a heartbreaking story that is
And what if that happened any one of us? I mean or we heard of somebody having that happen to them
He would we'd feel very bad for that person
No doubt Joseph felt very alone during that time during all those years in the prison that he spent
I
Think about our Lord upon the cross when he cried out why hast thou forsaken me the loneliness that he must have felt
So loneliness is something that it's it's a fact of life. It's something that we go through
It's something that we're all going to experience from time to time
Some of us will probably go through some deeper seasons of it than others
But we have to remember to whatever degree we're suffering loneliness, we're never really alone
and
Those that are feeling that that are feeling hey, I feel alone. I feel very lonely
You know, they're trying they've got the relationships in church
They might even have the marriage relationship and that's doing great
but sometimes they still feel alone because they haven't taken advantage of that one relationship like they should have which is Christ and
drawn close to him and
Even those that are even taking full advantage of that relationship. Maybe all these things are growing great
But we still feel that loneliness
The people that are actually going through this this loneliness these promises of God become more precious
We can't appreciate it sometimes when everything is going good. We can't oh, I I know the Bible says he'll never leave me
No forsake me and that's nice. I
Appreciate that I know where that is and I've got it marked and maybe one day I'll have to turn there but not now
But I tell you what the person that's going through that they live in this verse
I will never leave you nor forsake. They will never leave you nor forsake thee
That might be good what gets them through a day to people that are suffering that this promise becomes so much more precious
You think of other such passages Psalm 27 when my father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up
The psalmist there isn't saying when my father and mother forsake me, you know life as I know it is over
What's the point of going on? Nobody cares?
No, he knew that he was never really alone
He knew that the Lord would be there that the Lord like we talked about this morning is faithful
Great is thy faithfulness that he would be there to lift him up to take him up
Now if you would let's turn over to 2nd Corinthians
You don't need to keep anything there in Hebrews were done there, but go over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 1
2nd Corinthians chapter 1 you get there keep a bookmark in 2nd Corinthians
Another one of these great passages that would a person that's going through loneliness and not
You know and is looking for that
Promise from God. Well, here's one for you. You got Hebrews 13
You got passages like Psalms 27 you got this one here as well
Beginning in verse 2 where it says grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ
Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort
Who comfort us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith
We ourselves are comforted of God
Verse 4 is a little wordy what he's saying there is like he's saying look God comforts us in all our tribulations
That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble
You know sometimes the reason why you're going through that trial is so that you can help somebody else in the future
You know why does God let things happen to us sometimes so that we can help others so we can sympathize with another human being
So that we can know what it is that they're going through
But he says there in verse 3 that he is the father of mercies and the God of all comfort
You know God is a multifaceted individual. He's not just one thing. He's a person like me and you of course
Far higher and greater in every way
But he has a personality when you read the Bible you get to understand that of course
We're very familiar with the fact that you know God
You know God
Just judges and God has anger and God has wrath and God has hatred and God has great love
And not only that but God
Comforts, I mean that's what it says here that he is the God of all comfort
You know we're lonely. We're hurt
Where are we gonna find relief? Where are we going to find help with God?
You know that the church isn't always gonna be enough
The relationships that you have on earth are not always going to be enough
For some of those things some of us that are suffering deep-seated loneliness
There's not gonna be a relationship. You can find on earth. That's gonna necessarily help it the way God could he is the God of all comfort
so we need to understand these promises that we have and
Understand that God has promised to never leave us that he will comfort us in all our tribulations
That we are never alone
Even when we feel like it
It's just a matter whether or not we know
These these passages these promises
Now as I said keep us something there in 2nd Corinthians 1
But let's turn over to John chapter 14 John chapter 14 is probably in the running with
Probably my favorite chapter if not in the whole Bible definitely in the New Testament. It's it's one of the great great chapters John 14 John 15
But John 14 in particular
There in verse 16 where it says and I will pray the Father
And he shall give you another
Comforter well was he called again where we just read and God of all comfort
Here this is a title that is given to the Holy Ghost
And he says he is the comforter now. Why does he call him that?
because he comforts us and
That's something that you know
Maybe that's not the most exciting topic to preach on but it might be something that literally saves some people's lives
Brings them back from the brink of despair to understand that God is with them that God loves them and that they are not alone
He's the God he is he is the comforter that he may abide with you forever
That he may abide with you forever he's never going to leave us
We're sealed with the unto the day of our redemption the spirit we have indwelling of Christ
Forever that's a precious promise. That's something we need to get our minds around especially if we're suffering with loneliness
He says even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive
because it seeth him not neither knoweth him, but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and
Shall be in you how close is God?
How close is the comforter tonight with you?
The Bible says he's with you and that he's in you. He's abiding in our hearts by faith
That's that's that's a very close relationship. There's none closer
He said in verse 18. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you
So we experienced this closest to the well, you know, I am feeling lonely and I understand these promises
But how do I actually access that? How do I actually go about?
Experiencing the closeness of Christ. How do I actually experience?
Knowing that God is with me. Well, you do that through the Holy Ghost and that's what it's showing us here
You read that you do that through the closeness of the Holy Ghost
That that name in itself is is given to imply this attribute of God's care, I mean look down there in verse 26
But the comforter comforter, which is the Holy Ghost who's the comforter? It's the Holy Ghost
That is in you that is with you forever
That's how you experience that that's how you get over that loneliness. That's how you get through that dark season of
Loneliness in your life is through the Holy Ghost. I
Mean the brethren in Christ help the church family helps
Close friends help
But that's not always going to be enough for us
You know if we have that marriage relationship that helps
But we have this relationship
It's available to all of us if we're saved at any age at any season in life if we're ever feeling lonely
That we had it's right here. It's in us. It's it's right there at our fingertips. It's right here in the Word of God
The Holy Ghost is there to see us through
Now I do want to kind of get into the thrust of this here and and make
Application and what I want us to understand tonight that this is a precious promise no doubt
And whether we need that right now or not we might one day. It's good to know this
It's one of the great promises the Word of God that God is with us, but let me say this it is not without requirements
there are requirements on having that comfort come to you that that that comfort that can see you through a
Season of loneliness now disclaimer of course we understand once save always saved
I don't feel like I need to go into that here with this group. We understand once we're saved. We're always saved
That's not what I'm saying tonight that somehow the Holy Spirit is going to be taken from you, and you are no longer saved
That's not I'm saying at all. We're sealed. Okay. We've already been bought. We're just waiting to be redeemed
But what I am saying is that there are degrees to closeness with God
Not every Christian that's born again. Is that the same has the same?
Degree of closeness to God some people are farther away from God than others I
Mean, that's that's just a fact of the matter, and it's all dependent and any any one of us can be as close to
To God as anybody else. I mean you see that you know a great picture. That is the twelve disciples
You know there was the twelve right and then there was the inner circle of the three Peter James of John
You always see God taking you know Jesus is always taking those three the twelve are always with them
But when special things when he's raising the the young maid from the dead
The transfiguration on the mount not everybody was as close
There was a certain group of men that God was just a little bit closer
And then even within the three there was John wasn't there that disciple whom Jesus loved the one who leaned upon his breast
So you know that should be a goal in our life. How close can you get?
And you say well is it really that important well
You know it's probably might might see you through a dark season in your life
We talked about it this morning thou knowest not what a day may bring forth life is full of unexpected unexpected surprises
You might need to lean real heavy on these promises one day
So we should understand them now, and we should
Always be ready to to call upon Lord and and seek to draw close to him now before that season even comes
Be prepared for it
Now there are some requirements and the one requirement that God puts on this and we'll see here in John 14 is
Obedience I want to get closer to God. I want to be with God. I'm lonely
I want to feel him I want to be comforted by him. I want to know that he's with me
I want to have that in my life. Well, then you need to be obedient
It's not just gonna happen on its on its own you have to do your part as well like we talked about this morning that
requirement is obedience
Look there in verse 15
He says if you love me. Oh, I love God. Okay, if you love me keep my Commandments
Now what you know, I can tell somebody if somebody loves God they keep his Commandments
That's that that you know the degree to which you love God will be instantly reflected as and
In how much you keep his Commandments?
To what degree you keep God's Commandments that's going to show us how much you love God
If you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter
That he may abide with you forever
He says look keep my Commandments and I'll give you in a comforter
You see God does distance himself from the disobedient
You know, and I'm not saying that's why we're always feeling, you know, if you're feeling lonely
It's not necessarily just because you're disobedient it might be
but
God what we need to understand is that God does distance himself from disobedient children. I
Mean think about it you parents in your own life with your kids
When the kid is just being a snot, you know
When they're just being a pain in the neck
You're always having to deal with them. I mean, is that the kid you're gonna want to spend your whole day with
You got something special to do you got some special trip that you can take or you're going out, you know kids that
We we look at it such a mundane thing. I'm gonna go to the grocery store
I'm gonna go fill the car up with gas. Oh, can I go can I go?
kids just clamp they just love to do that kind of thing just just to be around dad or mom and
Goes to do these silly mundane tasks that we as parents loathe
Alright, and it's great to have the kids because it makes it, you know interesting. You never know what they're gonna say
But if you're that parent and you've got one kid that's just been this sweet
charming obedient
angel
That you know, they all could be if they wanted to you have that one and then you have this whining
complaining
Just pain in the neck. Which one are you gonna take with you on that trip?
Which one are you gonna want to spend time with for 20 30 minutes an hour on the road? Oh
I think we all know the answer. I
Think it's the same way with God God distanced himself like look you need to get an addict to get your attitude, right?
Why would I want to hang around you?
When you don't obey
When you're just a pain in the neck
I'm gonna go spend my time with this one over here this child who's keeping my commandments who's loving me who?
Appreciates me and wants to please me
So there are requirements
Mainly just one really and it is obedience and we need to understand that God does distance himself
From the disobedient now keep something in John
Let's turn back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 6
If you kept something there 2nd Corinthians chapter 6
Well
I want to be close to God. I want to be near God. I want to know that God is like a father to me
Well look at verse 17 2nd Corinthians 6
Wherefore come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you
Sounds like a requirement to me
now there's something we have to do on our part if we want verse 18 to apply and
We'll be a father unto you and you should build my sons and daughters saith the Lord God on the Lord Almighty
Well, I want to know God is my father and look again. I understand we're saved God's our father. That's never gonna change
But you know even on this earth, you know, some of us have fathers that our relationships are very very distant
You know and not every father just because he's your dad is necessarily a close parent and
Sometimes that relationship that same thing can happen with us and God not on God not that it's God's fault
But that you know, we get out of sorts. We don't want to come out from among them
We don't want to stop touching the unclean thing. We want to keep
doing those things which God
disapproves of
And he says well, you know what I am although God is again is the father unto us we know that he said
I'm not gonna be as a father unto you
Or maybe he's gonna be a father unto us in ways. We'd rather he didn't
You know the chastening hand of God where he chases every son whom he receiveth
That's not that you know, that's not the relationship I desire to have my kids or it's just a constant
You know beating 24 hours a day and it's not praise God, right?
But there are seasons aren't there?
We have to understand something these promises are precious, but they come
with a requirement and God distanced himself from the disobedient and
God's proximity to us how close we are to God is directly
Proportional to our obedience the more obedient you are the more you love God, you know what the closer you are to God
The closer we get to God
I mean, I know that's true in my own life
Seasons of life where I drifted away and God just seems so far away. Then you have to stop and choke. Well, why is that Oh,
Because this sins in my life because I'm not doing this and I'm not doing this and this sin is in my life
And I haven't gotten this right and I have I'm not you know with it. It piles up. It doesn't take long. We go. Oh
That's why God seems so far away. That's why I feel so alone
because I've pushed everyone away and
And God seems far away because we're not obedient
And if we begin to obey you just be like us with our own children come a little closer
You get the ice cream cone today, you know at the water store. That's the big thing in our house
We're in the water store because we you know, we don't drink the tap water, you know
Right. It is not in Phoenix. That was an illustration. I forgot to use this morning
We showed up in Phoenix like the first day we were there
And we found out real quick don't drink the tap water it's terrible it is not
So we go to the water store and we fill up our water jugs and and and whenever we do it
One of the kids gets to come because there's usually an ice cream cone involved. It's called water and ice
They should call it water and ice cream
But that's the one guess who gets to go it's the one that's been the most behaved
And that's what I'm trying to illustrate to us is that our proximity to God is proportional to our obedience
You go back to John chapter 14. You'll see this in verse 21
John chapter 14 verse 21 there is a requirement of obedience to have a close fellowship with the Lord
He says in verse 21 he that hath my he that hath my commandments and keepeth them. He is that loveth me. Oh
We so many of us have God's commandments don't we
We might even have several copies of it
We've got one in our car. We've got one in our bed stand. We've got one, you know in this room. We've got one at work
We've even got one that we just leave on our favorite church chair. So no, so somebody thinks we're sitting there
You know who you are
People do that all that's the weirdest thing you get to see so many weird things
I would say weird things, but some things that maybe other people never notice
And when you're when you're in these ministries and things like that people
Like each church is six days from now. Like you're already you're already marking your spot with an extra copy of God's commands
Oh, we've got God's commandments with us, don't we?
We've got that first part down he that hath my commandments
I'm all set. No, it goes on and
Keepeth them
What does he mean by keep them don't lose your Bible?
No, what he means is, you know observes them obeys them he keeps them
He does them he it is that love with me
You know, it's one thing to say I love God oh
I love God
But we're not keeping his commandments. Well, do we really love God?
And he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and here it is and I will love him and will manifest myself
To him that's a deep verse
I remember the first time someone showed me that verse hit me like a ton of bricks
This idea that God would manifest himself to you
Now, what does he mean by that? Don't get no don't go crazy with this and think that God's gonna appear in a vision
That something you're gonna get close to you're gonna keep God's Commandments
Which you should anyway and that some night you're just gonna have this, you know glowing orb in your room or something
You're gonna have a vision of Jesus. That's how he's talking about. He's not talking about a physical manifestation
You know where God will manifest himself is in your heart and he'll do it through this word
It's no coincidence. That's not there for it's no coincidence that that's how that the order of things goes in that verse
He that hath my commandments and keepeth them
What is their command? It's his word if I have his word and I keep it and I'm in it and I'm obeying it
I'm gonna see Christ in here and it's gonna reflect Christ in my own heart
And I'm gonna realize something that I have God living in me that I am not alone that I'm never alone
But it comes with a prerequisite that prerequisite is obedience
Bible says in Proverbs 8 I
Love them that love me and them that seek me early shall find me
You know, he's saying seek me early doesn't mean just get up in the morning
Well, that's a good time to do it and seek God before your day begins. He's saying seek me early in life
No, don't wait and I know and I to some degree and this is my own testimony. Don't wait
Until you're old to seek God seek him early
spare yourself
so many heartaches
young people and seek him early and
Find God's love early love God early and draw close to him now
You see God's promise of comfort is to the obedient
We don't no one here wants to be lonely. Nobody here wants to feel alone
and
We would all want this promise of God's comfort to be ours
At least we should
But here's the thing it's to those that are willing to obey it's there
It's there for the taking anyone else can have it if we're willing to obey
Let's turn to Psalm 66 66
Keep something in John. We're gonna go back to Psalm 66
And we'll start wrapping this thing up here
And
Psalm 66 let's look at verse 16 where the Bible reads
Come and hear all you that fear the Lord and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I
Cried unto him with my mouth and he was extolled with my tongue
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
But verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer, you know, that's a that's a heavy verse in verse 18
You know the promise of God's willingness to be with you to comfort you is based on obedience
And if you regard iniquity in heart, it says right there
The Lord will not hear me
I'm lonely
I'm all alone down here God help me
well
We want to be heard in those instances, don't we?
We want God to hear us and answer
we want to pick up the book his word and read it and have God speak to our hearts and
Answer our prayers through his word and other things
But if we're regarding iniquity in heart if we're disobedient don't count on it
Don't think it's gonna happen because it's not
It says it right there
That if we're not obedient God's not going to hear us turn back to John chapter 10
The Bible says in Proverbs
28 he that turneth away his ear from the hearing of the law
Even his prayer shall be an abomination
Lord help Lord hear me Lord be close to me
Whatever it is. Your prayer is whatever your prayer is tonight
If you've turned your way or away from the hearing of the law and said a this isn't for me
I can do what I want
Here that prayer. He doesn't say that God doesn't hear you. It says that person abomination
That's a strong word
God is offended that you would even begin to make that request
when you've been living the way you've been living and doing what you've been doing and
Not obeying and not keeping his commandments and not following after him
And now all of a sudden you're crying out to him and he says it's an abomination
That's that's strong language
If we vow if we really value this promise that God has given us
that I will never leave thee I will never forsake thee and
Look here in John chapter 10
This promise that he's given us throughout his word
in verses 28 and 29
Let's go to verse 27
My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them the eternal life and they shall never
Perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand
Promises like this that we know that God has us that he's never going to leave us and we want that to be real we
Want that to be true. We want to know that
in every ounce of our being and
To help us in life when we go through these seasons of loneliness
If we really value that you know what we do we'd obey
Whatever it said
Whatever it is that God wanted
That precious that promise is so precious to me. I'm willing to do anything for it then obey
I'm willing to do whatever God says
God says a lot of things. Are you sure about that?
God's got a lot of Commandments for us
Anyway, if we're sitting here drawing a blank and what those might be
Maybe it's time to start reading it and finding out for ourselves and getting in church and figuring out what it is that God expects
from us
You see it is a relationship and again, I'm hesitant to even use that term but that is what it is it is a relationship
And like any relationship it goes two ways
We can't have this one-sided thing where it's all just take take take
It's whatever I can get from God. God has some demands to God has a to-do list for you
for us to fulfill
See we look at a passage like John chapter 28 and
And John 10 28 and we know this that our sonship is secure or
Daughtership doesn't really roll off the tongue the same but it means the same thing, right?
Our our being a child of God that's settled
We've been born of the the water. We've been born of the Spirit. It's a one-time event your physical birth your spiritual birth
We know that we're saved today. We've taken care of that that's secure. That's never gonna change
But
Only obedience will guarantee your fellowship
That's the only thing that's going to guarantee that God is going to be there to be with you
Through the through any season in life is your obedience. Let's go ahead and pray