Sheryl Brady - Outlasting Loneliness

Second Timothy, chapter four, and I’m going to skip around just a little bit, so I need you to follow me. The Bible says, beginning at the sixth verse, «If your neighbor doesn’t have it, just look at them and say, 'Read off mine, ' because we have to move, or look on the screen—either one.» So, we’re talking about the life of Paul, and Paul says in verse six, «For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith.» Man, if you can fight a good fight, if you can finish your course, and, in the middle of all that, hold on to your faith, I’m telling you, you’re a blessed individual. Henceforth, he says, «There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only but unto all them that love His appearing.»

Verse nine, as we prepare to read this, we are listening to the final words of a man who realizes that his final days have drawn near. He says to his son in the gospel, Timothy, «Do your diligence to come shortly unto me.» He just got through saying, «Listen, my time is up. I’ve fought a good fight and I’ve kept the faith, but if you’re going to come, I need you to come, and I need you to come quickly.»

In verse 13, he says, «When you do come, I want you to bring my coat,» that’s what he’s saying, «bring my coat that I left at Troas with Carpus. When thou comest, bring also my books and bring my parchments.» So, he’s asking for his coat, his books, and his papers; he says those things are important. Then he goes on and says, «Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; the Lord reward him according to his works.» That’s like saying, «Talk to the hand.» He said, «That’s all I’m going to say about that,» adding, «of whom be thou ware also, for he had greatly withstood our words.»

Verse 16, he states, «At my first answer, no man stood with me.» He’s in court. He says, «But all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. He stood with me and strengthened me so that by me, the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.» In verse 18, he continues, «And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me.» I love all that! He stood with me, He strengthened me, He delivered me, and He preserved me. That’s a message right there—take that home today! He delivered me from every evil work and He will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

He said in verse 16, «At my first answer, no man stood with me; all men forsook me.» That sounds lonely to me. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me. I want to talk today, and I really want you to open up your heart and allow me to open up my heart to give you today the word of the Lord. I want to speak on this subject: Outlasting Loneliness. Truth be told, there are a lot of lonely people in this room. There are a lot of lonely people watching online, and there are a lot of lonely people around the world. You can’t always tell just by looking at them, especially if they go to church, because we have a way of coming in, dressing up, and acting like everything’s okay. But the truth of the matter is, there are a lot of lonely people in this world, and I want to talk about outlasting loneliness because it is possible to do just that.

Spirit of the Living God, I love You today. I ask that You would come into this room, hold us close, and speak to our need today. Speak to our pain, speak to our brokenness, and speak to our past if You must, but please make sure to speak to our future. I thank You today that Your word will find every person under the sound of my voice, and I just pray that they will open their hearts and receive the seed that comes forth. Let it go down deep in their lives and bring forth a harvest—harvest that blows our minds. Speak to us, Lord Jesus, for it is Your voice that we need to hear. Do that, and we’ll praise You. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen.

On your way down, just touch somebody; shake them if you want to wake them up. If they look sleepy, tell them they need this message today: Outlasting Loneliness. Most of you know that I am a Detroit city girl. I grew up—anybody in from Detroit, near Detroit? Love Detroit? I’m going to preach to all five of you today; it’s me and you. Okay, I grew up in Detroit, and because of that, I have many good memories from living there. I love certain things about it. I love going to the Coney Island places; you know there’s one every five feet.