Don't Go It Alone

Romans chapter five, we'll be reading beginning in verse six here in just a few minutes. Titled the Psalm this morning, Don't Go It Alone. Don't go it alone. You know, there are few things in life that are for certain. Life, death, taxes, trouble sickness, failure, loss, all of these are part of the the human experience.

Job said that man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. When we're born, we are born to a life of trouble and trial and difficulty of varying degrees and varying ways. It is part of the human experience. Have you ever heard the joke that asked the question, what do you get back when you play a country song backwards? What do you get when you play a country song backwards?

You get your wife back, your house back, your car back, your dog, your dignity, whatever else. That was when you play a country song backwards. Horse. Your horseback. Okay.

Yeah, I forgot about the horse. There was a record my dad had when I was a kid. He used to listen to some old country when he was younger. And he had several of these records. And there was one record by a man by the name of Marvin Rainwater.

Chances are if you're here you've never heard of Marvin Rainwater. But maybe there's a couple of you. He was a country singer. He sang through his nose. So, and he's kind of funny to listen to and he wrote a couple cute songs that sometimes we sing at Thanksgiving.

That we memorized and one of em is so you think you've got troubles. So, you think you've got troubles, the more you try, the worse you get. So, you think this world don't like you. Well, brother, you ain't heard nothing yet and then he goes to this long litany of every terrible thing that could ever happen to a person has happened to him. So, you think you've got troubles.

You haven't heard anything yet. Well, all of us have had troubles and all of us will have troubles in this life. However, we were not created So, we were created, humanity was created. Adam and Eve were created perfect. They were placed in a perfect environment without any what?

Sin. Without any sin and without any troubles. You you jumped ahead of me. Remember the troubles part. We haven't got to the sin yet, okay?

Without any trouble, no no death, no sickness, no sorrow, no troubles. For Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. But sin changed all of that. Not God but sin changed all of that. I've had people ask me, well, if God is love, and if God is God then, why did he let this happen to me?

Or why did he do this to me? Well, it's not what God did to me. It's what I did to me. It's what Adam and Eve did to me. It's what humanity did to itself.

When we chose to disobey the one who made us. It is sin that is caused. Death and sorrow and sickness and loss and trials and trouble. Not God, sin. Romans five twelve, wherefore as by one man, Adam, sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.

Why do we suffer? Why do we have trouble in this life? Because of sin. Because Adam and Eve sinned. Because of your sin.

Because of your neighbor's sin, because of the sin of the person who's driving drunk behind the wheel of a car. Because of sin, it is sin that has brought us trouble in this life. And praise God, if you know Christ the savior, one day, we're going to get a new body and we're going to live in a new place that God has prepared for us and there will be no what? No sin and no what? And no trouble.

Praise the Lord. But here, in this sin cursed world, we have to deal with trouble. Because of sin. Life isn't easy. Life can be very hard at times.

Sometimes, holidays like the Christmas season can be particularly hard and almost cruel for those who have lost loved ones, have sad memories, or who are are all alone. Christmas to some of us who is a time of joy and a time of excitement can for some be a time of remembering sad memories remembering loss and so people are thinking about presents and trees and and some are thinking about Jesus and some are celebrating and some are hurting. Sometimes, it's easy for us to forget about those that are hurting at Christmas time but you may be one of those. Whatever the trial, the question is not whether you will have them. Whether we will suffer loss.

Whether we will face trials. The question I have this morning is this, will you face the trials of life alone? Will you face the trials of life by yourself or you will will you face them with a friend? A friend that is both greater than you and greater than your troubles. And there is such a friend.

His name is Jesus Christ. He is the friend that stick it closer than a brother. I have a brother. He's ten years younger than I am. He's my only sibling.

And despite the fact that I left home when he was eight and we have always lived at least a day's journey from each other. I'm quite close to my brother. But I have a friend who stick it closer than my brother could ever be to me. More faithful. More loyal.

More caring. Than my brother. And his name is Jesus Christ. Christmas is really all about this friend. Not just a baby in a manger or presents under a tree.

Christmas is about a person, about a friend, and about a savior. John fifteen thirteen says, greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. Now, Jesus was saying that to those who called themselves his friends. Sometimes, we use that term friend very loosely. Well, I'm your friend or they're my friend.

We don't stop to think what it really means to be a friend. Jesus is the example of what it means to really be a friend to someone. In his friendship, with us. If you look in Romans chapter five and we'll begin in verse six. We're going to read down through verse 10.

Romans five six, for when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet per adventure for a good man, some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us. In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. There is the example that Christ has set forth for us about being a friend and this is the kind of friend that Jesus is. What kind of friend is that? Well, writer of Romans here says, that maybe you would give your life for somebody who was really righteous, who was really deserving of it.

You might peradventure give your life for them. Maybe you would give your life possibly for somebody who you perceive to be a a good person. Someone that you cared about. Someone who had been good to to you that you might in return be willing to give your life for them. Maybe you would be willing to do that.

But the Bible says, Christ came and gave his life for us when we were yet what? Sinners. Sinners. We were in no way good. We were in no way righteous.

We were sinners. What's a sinner? A sinner is an insolent rebel. That's what a sinner is. A sinner is a rebel because a sinner will not obey the authority.

Who is the authority? The authority is God. The authority is our creator. And when Jesus Christ came to this Earth to be among us and to die on the cross for our sins. We were not his friends.

We didn't even act like his friends. Most of the Jews didn't love him. They hated him. And you say, well, if it were me, I wouldn't have been that way. Be careful what you assume.

Because we are all sinners and we have all rebelled against God. We have gone our own way and the Lord hath laid on him that is Jesus, the iniquity of us all. When we were God's, it says here, enemies in verse 10. When we were Jesus' enemies, he came and he extended his hand. No, he did more than that.

He extended his hands on the what? Cross. On the cross. And he died for us He opened his arms wide to those who were rebels, to those who were his enemies, That he might make us his what? His friends.

He became a friend to those who were his enemies. He became a friend to the friendless. And he made a way that we, his enemies, could, through his sacrifice, through his gift, through his death, to be justified by his blood, to be declared righteous, to be forgiven, that we might be saved from wrath through him. That is who Jesus is and that is what he did for you. He is your true friend.

He didn't wait for you see the error of your way and to change yourself He came from heaven to die for you when you were set in your ways and set on your path. To stand in your path and say, I love you. I will forgive you. Will you come and embrace me by faith? That's what Jesus did for you.

He is our truest friend. He has said in his word that for those who have come to him by faith that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Other friends may say that. But many of them given the right provocation will. But not who?

But not Jesus. He who gave his life for us. He who is in heaven, who was our advocate before the throne of God. If God before us, if Jesus before us, who can be what? Who can be against us?

Yes, there is a friend unlike no other that can change your life, your outlook, your hope, your nature, your attitude, your eternity. He is God and the son of God. He is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said in Matthew eleven twenty eight, he said, come on to me all you that labor and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Any of you here today tired and weary of life?

There are times when all of us are tired and weary of dealing with the troubles of life. Jesus said, come on to me, I will give you what? I will give you rest. Now, he was talking to Israel and he was talking to the lost to come to him to be saved but there is also an application for us who know Christ here. Sometimes, we get so busy with other things that we forget to take time to spend with who?

To take time to spend with Jesus. The best way to get the rest and the hope that we need is to take time to spend with our friend. So, can give us rest and he can recharge our batteries. So, we can continue. Here in the passage, the Jewish people were an oppressed and weary people and to all those who feel as they did, that life is a day to day struggle.

Christ pleads with you to come to him for rest. What's involved with rest? Peace. Peace. Comfort.

Relief fulfillment, all of these things, hope are wrapped up in the idea of rest. Jesus said to the Israelites who were oppressed by the Romans, whose lives were difficult. We think we're busy today and we think life is difficult. People of Jesus's day and centuries past might look at us and laugh. Most everything we want often is at our fingertips.

We have washing machines that wash the clothes for us. We have dishwashers that wash the dishes for us. We have all kinds of machinery that we use to to copy things. You make copies of thing, thousands of pages and minutes. They had to copy it by what?

By hand. By hand. We have machines that do so much of our work today. Tractors and all kinds of things. They had shovels.

If they had that, They were weary. Life was weary. They needed relief. The relief they needed most was not what's that five hour energy. You see the advertisement, five hour energy shot.

Now, that that's not what they needed. What they needed and what our world needs is Jesus Christ. He is the one who can give us true rest. Particularly with our struggles with self and sin. Oftentimes, the things that drain us the most are our struggle with sin.

But Paul says, thanks be to God that giveth us what? The victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. If you don't know him, you need to come to him. He will give you rest. If you do know him, you might want to spend some more time with him.

Because those other things we're looking for, they just do not fit the bill. Jesus said in John six thirty five, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth in me shall never thirst. Christ used hunger and thirst as metaphors for unmet longings in life that only he can fulfill.

People look to failed relationships. They look to drugs and alcohol. They look to busyness and partying to money and success to medals and awards and achievements in order to bring happiness into their life and the happiness is always what? It's fleeting. Few years ago, I I was watching something and I remember person saying it had to do with medals, winning something and he he asked the fellow, how will I know if it'll be enough if I win this medal to make me happy?

And the guy was talking to said, if you're not enough without it, you won't be enough what? With it. And how true that is. Things do not bring happiness. Metals do not bring happiness.

Jesus, he brings. As we deal with the trials and the troubles of life, if you know Christ, you're not alone. Remember him who has already given you heaven, who has already given you forgiveness, and his promise to walk with you. Will you walk with him? And if you're here and you don't know him and you're looking for these things to fill your life, you're looking in the wrong place.

John six thirty seven, Jesus said, all that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Jesus said, if you will come to me, in faith, repentance. If you will embrace me as your savior and your Lord. He said, I will not. I will not cast you out.

Bible says, as many as received him, that's Jesus. To them gave you power to become the sons or the children of God even to them that believe on his name. If you have put your your faith, you've trusted Jesus Christ with your eternal soul. You put it in his hands by faith. You surrender to him as your savior and Lord.

Embraced him in the salvation and the gift that he has. Jesus said, once you've come to me and I have made you my child, I will never what? I will never forsake you. I will never cast you out. I will never cast you out.

Now, that's not my promise, that's whose promise. That's God's promise. That's Jesus promise. That's his word. And you can count on it and you're here today and you're considering, consider this, if you accept Jesus, he will never leave you.

He will always be there for you. What more could you want? What more could you want? Many examples in scripture of those who trusted in him, those who who knew him, No one knew him. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and only he and his family survived the greatest catastrophe that this world has ever seen.

And it was not a natural catastrophe. It was a supernatural. Catas catastrophe. As God brought judgement on the world, but Noah had what? Noah had rest because he knew God and he was secure in that ark because who closed the door?

God. And who didn't cast him out? God. He didn't cast him out. He kept him secure.

Until he brought him. To his place after the floodwaters were gone. There may be a great flood in your life. Maybe great trouble on the horizon Trust the Lord He will carry you through brother Keith asked in the man's Bible study said something made him think of this this chorus. I sing with the kids sometime and it's entitled He Is Able and it goes, he's able, he's able, I know he is able, I know my Lord is able to carry me through.

He healed the brokenhearted and he set the captive free. He made the lame to walk again and he calls the blind to see. He's able. He's able. I know he is able.

I know my Lord is able to carry me through. And he is. Just like he carried Noah through. He will carry you too. Abraham knew him.

Abraham believed God and it was imputed or counted unto him for righteousness and therefore, Abraham was called the what? The friend of God. Now, how did Abraham get to be the friend of God? Because God was the friend to whom? To Abraham.

We love him because he first what? Loved us. Loved us. Abraham became God's friend because God showed himself to be a friend to Abraham and Abraham received God's friendship by faith. He put his faith in the Lord and though Abraham was by no means perfect, you can read about him in Genesis.

He was by no means perfect but he was declared righteous. He received the righteousness of Christ to his account. Because he embraced the Lord. As his Lord. And he came to him by faith and he became the friend of God because God was a friend to him as God is a friend to all those who believe and trust in him.

Joseph knew the Lord. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, tempted to sin by his master's wife, and this is what he said. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Though everything was against Joseph and everybody had abandoned him. He knew there was one who hadn't abandoned him.

To whom he was accountable. And that one was and is Jesus Christ. He is God. The friend that sticketh closer than a brother. And Joseph said, I cannot sin and do this wickedness against God.

When his brother showed up later to get food and they trembled when they realized that the man they were talking to was the brother they sold into slavery. Joseph said this to them, now therefore, be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither. For God did send me before you to preserve life. He said, later, you meant it for evil but God meant it for what? For good.

God meant it for good. Joseph never lost his faith. Joseph never lost his friend his friend who stuck with him his friend who knew what he was doing in Joseph's life and knows what he's doing in your who will never leave you nor forsake you, Jesus Christ. He is the same friend that Joseph had. Moses knew him.

He was called by God out of the burning bush to lead God's people out of Egypt. He saw the 10 plagues. He saw the Red Sea divide into. By faith, he saw many incredible miracles performed by God. The God who was his wife.

His friend. His friend. And a friend to his people. In Exodus fourteen thirteen as they stood before the Red Sea with the Egyptians at their back. Ready to pounce upon them.

He says, fear you not. Stand still. See the salvation of the Lord. Which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever.

You know, you think about that situation and I got plenty of time. It's only quarter till and I'm almost done. You think about that situation for a moment. Because the Egyptians chased after Israel, because Pharaoh changed his mind, and because God led Israel up to the Red Sea in a place that looked like they were trapped and doomed. Because God put them in this situation.

God made it so that the Egyptians would never again bother them because you see, if they had escaped another way and the Egyptian army would have remained intact. They could have come upon them at any time. In the Sinai Desert. But God got God got rid of that army once and for all. As he buried them in the Red Sea.

So that the Egyptians never bothered them. Again. God knows what he's doing and he is a friend. He is a friend. Unlike any other.

Joshua knew him as he saw the walls of Jericho and many others come down, he remembered the words of the Lord in Joshua one nine, have not I commanded thee, be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee. Whether so ever thou goest. Ruth knew him when she said to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and treat me not to leave, treat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee. For whether thou goest, I will go.

Where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people and thy God, my God. Was Jesus a friend? Was God a friend to Ruth and Naomi? Of course, he was.

He led them to a man named Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, who took care of them, who provided for them. An amazing story. David knew the Lord when he stood before that giant. And he said, as he stood thou, thou camest to me with a sword and with a spear, with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied. This day, will the Lord deliver me, deliver thee into my hand.

Goliath had just said, I am going to tear you limb for limb. David said, no, you're not because God is going to deliver you into my hand. Now, was that arrogance? No. That was faith.

That was faith. Faith in David's friend. Who wasn't going to let him down. Who would not let him down. Now, we don't always know how God is answer our prayers and we do not always know God's will in every matter.

But you can know this. He will not let you down. He will be your friend to the end. He knows what he's doing. He has already given his life to make you his friend.

He is not going to forsake you. He didn't forsake Daniel in the lion's den. He did not forsake Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. He didn't forsake Paul and Silas in the Roman prison As they sang praises to God. In the middle of the night after being beaten, chained God opened those doors.

God saved their prison guard and his family. God knows what he's doing. So did Jim Elliot, missionary, to the Auca Indians who died at their hands said this, before he left on that trip. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. You can't keep your life.

He who keeps his life, the Bible says, will what? Lose it. But Jesus says, he who loses his life for my sake shall find it. Find eternal life and joy, fulfillment, and rest. In Jesus Christ.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain. What he cannot lose. David Livingston said, without Christ, not one step. With him. Anywhere.

Without Christ, not one step. With him, anywhere. From which comes a hymn in our hymn book called Anywhere with Jesus, I can safely go. Anywhere he leads me in this world below. Anywhere without him, dearest Joyce would fade.

Anywhere with Jesus, I am not afraid. Anywhere, anywhere. Fear I cannot know anywhere with Jesus. I can safely go. Job knew him when he said, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.

Do you know him? Can you say with Job, though he slay me? Yet, will I trust in him? Have you come to him by faith? Have you come to him?

For rest. For rest against the condemnation of sin and hell for strength against the enemy for victory over our own self and sin. For eternal life. In Jesus, for hope that only he can give. Have you come to him for rest?

Are you trying to go it? If you're trying to go it alone the Bible does not offer you comfort Now, it says, for those who would go it alone, there is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. But to those who would put their faith in the Lord. It says, trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding.

All thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. He will lead you in the way everlasting. Will you trust him today? If you're here and you've never embraced Christ as savior, you've never called upon him, surrendered to him as your Lord. Would you come today?

He will give you rest. And Christian, are you struggling? We do struggle. We do still deal with troubles. That doesn't end when you get saved.

But you have someone to face those troubles with Are you depending on him? Are you spending time with him? Are you too busy about other things? Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your love, for what you did for us, Lord.

All that we could be one hundredth the friend to you. That you have been to us. Lord, we can never hope to repay but Lord, we can do our our reasonable service giving our time, our talents, our bodies, ourselves, and the service of our Lord and master, our savior, our king, and our friend. Who has done so much for us. He's prepared a place for us.

And who will never leave us nor forsake us. Lord, help us to trust in you more. Help us to spend more time with you. Help us, Lord. To be a friend, to the one who is such a friend to us.

And Lord, we pray if there's one here today that's never trusted you as Lord and savior. It might come today as we sing this invitation hymn. That we might show them from God's word how they can be saved today and know it and trust you. In Jesus name, we pray.