One is the Loneliest Number

Turn with me your Bible to the book of Ecclesiastes, the fourth chapter, Ecclesiastes chapter 4. And I'm going to read to you verses 9 down through verse number 16, to set them in your heart and mind as we study these verses this evening, Ecclesiastes chapter 4. It says two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together, they keep warm.

But how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction. For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. I have seen all the living under the sun thronged to the side of the second lad who replaces him.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him. For this too is vanity and striving after the wind. Tonight's title for our message is, One is the Loneliest Number. I borrowed that from a song by Three Dog Night. It was Harry Nielsen who wrote the song in 1989. It was originally entitled, Just One. And I told you on Sunday, it was all inspired by a phone call that he made. And after making that call and finding a busy signal, realizing that he was left all alone.

And so he wrote the song, One is the Loneliest Number. Two is not as bad as one, but one is still the loneliest number that you've ever known. And so even though you might not know the words, even though you might not know the song, it really is irrelevant. Being lonely is a horrible place to be. This past Thursday, the American Bible Society came out with their State of the Bible report for 2024, and it contained an emphasis on loneliness. Its summation was this, that Americans with stronger spiritual lives and those who more commonly offer forgiveness, experience less loneliness than those who are less engaged with the Bible or churches, and those who don't commonly forgive others.

That's their conclusion. In other words, those who are biblically and ecclesiologically disengaged are those who are the loneliest people on the planet. They said this, the data suggests that nearly three out of four Americans report moderate to high levels of loneliness, with over one-third of Generation Z women, ages 18 to 27, experiencing the highest levels of loneliness.

Now, if you don't know what Generation Z is, those are the ones born between 1997 and 2012. But they are the loneliest. It says, the nation, or if the nation is indeed experiencing an epidemic of loneliness, what happens when people form a meaningful relationship with the God they meet in Scripture? Looking at levels of loneliness based on church attendance, the data suggests that those who never attend church had the highest incident of loneliness, those who never attend church. Conversely, those who go to church weekly scored the highest level of low loneliness.

Some experts blame social media for fostering shallow connections that replace deep friendships. But they say our research indicates that an inability to forgive could increase greatly one's level of loneliness. In fact, it says, 36% of those who identify as strongly unable to forgive experience the highest level of loneliness. The study comes after the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an 81-page advisory report entitled, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in America. The report warned that the lack of social connection poses a significant risk for individual health and longevity.

The document warns that loneliness can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness and lack of social connection are associated with higher risks of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Now, again, it's a survey. It's a survey taken by the American Bible Society about what America experiences. And the finding is that those who are not biblically engaged, that is, not in the Word of God, not studying about God, those who are not church engaged are among the most loneliest people on the planet, which adds credence to the fact that you need to read your Bible and you need to go to church.

Some have said, and we said this on Sunday, that loneliness is the most desolate word in the English language. But it's more than just a word. It's more than just a song. It's the reality for more people than we think. Even Solomon, who had climbed the highest ladder of success and experienced the greatest amount of popularity, found himself alone. That's why, in the book of Proverbs, he writes so much about friends, neighbors, companions. That's why, in Ecclesiastes 4, he writes the fact that two are better than one.

I believe that Solomon experienced profound times of loneliness. Even though he had more money than anybody else, even though he could do more than anybody else, even though people from all around the world came to him to partake of his wisdom, when the lights went out or the fire went low and he could no longer see and went to bed at night and laid his head on his pillow, he probably was one of the most loneliest men ever. And so he writes about that in chapter 4. He tells us that two are really better than one.

Understanding that helps you survive the lonely, desolate, dark days until you pass into eternity. Tonight, I want to cover three points with you. The first one is the sad commentary about the lonely.

The second point is some survival counsel for the lonely. And the third point is a significant conclusion for the lonely.

But let's look first of all at the sad commentary about the lonely. We live in a time when there is more noise, more activity, more opportunity than ever before. And yet, we find ourselves lonelier than ever. We have become a secluded society. You could walk down any street, go to any school and watch students with earbuds in their ears or headphones on their head, completely isolated and secluded from all those around about them. Listening to music or podcasts or some kind of noise, thinking that they're engaged in all reality, they are probably some of the most loneliest people on the planet.

Social media doesn't really help us much either because we can be engaged on social media and not know whether or not the person on the other side of the screen is a real person or artificial intelligence. We don't even really know. But all that just accentuates the loneliness that we face. We need a friend. We need a real friend, a genuine friend, a true friend. The Lord addressed this way back in the book of Genesis, in Genesis chapter 2. When he said in verse number 18, Interesting, God created Adam, created him perfectly, right?

Adam could walk with God in the cool of the day. Adam could be the friend of God. Adam could receive direction from God. And yet God says, in spite of his presence with Adam, it is not good for man to be alone.

I will make him a helper suitable for him. So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called the living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and he slept. And he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.

The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which he had taken from the man and brought her to the man. Isn't that interesting that our Lord knew man's condition and that he would need a suitable helper. Isn't that true that when you find that mate, that spouse that you want to be with for the rest of your life, and you live with that person, you begin to be like that person? You know, my wife has become more like me than she ever dreamed she would be. Not in looks of course, but she has become a lot like me.

And I, in turn, have become a lot like her. But when you've been married a long time and all of a sudden you become a widow or a widower, you become very lonely. Especially when you're in a house that your husband either built or did all the upgrades in the facility, so whenever you look at your house you see your husband.

Or if you lose your wife and she did all the decorating, whenever you're in your house all you see is your wife, but they're no longer there. And it sort of accentuates the loneliness that you feel when your loved one goes off into eternity. But I found over the years that there's someone lonelier than the widow and the widower. And that is the person in a marriage where there is no compatibility. I've been in ministry for 40 years. 30 years at this church. And one of the loneliest people I've come to meet in my life are wives whose husbands are disengaged.

Husbands who are not involved. Husbands are so busy doing other things that the wife is left to herself. And she experiences profound sense of loneliness, especially because when they were married and they found a, quote, suitable helper for them, they believed that this suitable helper, this spouse would be there for them, engaged with them, growing together with them, only to realize that after 5 or 10 or 15, sometimes even 30 and 35 or 40 years, they've grown further apart, not closer together.

And they become some of the most loneliest people in all the world, even though they're married, even though they've had children. They find themselves at night asking the question, why me? Why am I secluded? Why am I alone? Why don't people meet my needs? Why doesn't my husband meet my needs? If only someone would recognize how difficult things are for me, they could come alongside and meet the need. If we're not careful, we can find ourselves in the pit of self-pity. If we're not careful, we can find ourselves looking at ourselves as martyrs.

So how do you handle those kind of things? The commentary on the lonely is far-reaching. If you're a single person and you desire to get married, and there is no one on the horizon, and you begin to wonder, am I going to be single forever? Is there an end to this? Will I ever have a companion? Will I always go home to an empty house? Will I always go to bed at night alone? Will I always experience this profound sense of loneliness? We can become very introspective. So how do you handle the fact that loneliness is so pervasive in our society, even in our churches?

Well, turn to me to a very familiar story, and let me explain something to you. Turn with me to the book of John, the Gospel of John, something I've covered quite frequently, but it's going to lead me to a conclusion that will help you.

And you know the story in John chapter 13. It's the night of the eve of the crucifixion. And the Lord is gathered together with His men. And if you read the Gospels together, you realize that it was on this night that the disciples for the fourth and final time began to argue about who was the greatest in the kingdom. They were completely consumed with themselves. They were completely consumed with their greatness, their authority, their hierarchy among the twelve. And so they began to argue. And as they were arguing, as you would call the story, Christ got up and tied a slave apron around His waist and began to wash the disciples' feet.

And Jesus said these words when He was done. Verse 12, When He had washed their feet and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then the Lord and the Teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Now what Christ did is the most profound thing that can happen to those who are lonely. No one was concerned about our Lord's emotion. No one was concerned about His impending death, His crucifixion. They should have been, but they were not. Nobody was concerned about what the Lord was going through personally. No one said to Him, Lord, we want to pray with You. We want to be here for You. What can we do to assist You through this difficult time?

What can we do to help You? No one says that. Because they're not interested in what's happening. They're only consumed with themselves. So you can imagine the profound sense of loneliness our Lord was going through. And so what did He do? He set an example for His men to help them when they go through profound times of loneliness. And that is what you do when no one cares about you. No one's concerned about your spiritual welfare. No one's concerned about your emotional state. No one's concerned about your physical experiences.

You take a slave's apron, tie it around your waist, and you serve your fellow man. And Christ says, if you do this, I am your teacher, I am your master, I am your Lord.

If you do this, if you follow My example, you will be blessed. Now remember, in John chapter 16, John chapter 16, verse number 32, Christ says, behold, same night, behold, an hour is coming.

It has already come for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone. The time has come where all of you will be scattered and you're going to leave Me all alone. And yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me. What a magnificent statement. The Father is with Me. You're going to leave Me all alone, but don't worry, I'm not going to be alone. Because My Father is with Me. And then He says those famous words, these things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world. In Me you will have peace. In Me, during your times of profound loneliness, when no one cares, when everyone is scattered and no one's around, you're going to have My peace because you'll have My presence within you. So you say, well, that's the Lord. He's God incarnate. He knew the plan. He knew all about the future. He knew He was going to die. He knew He'd rise again. He knew He'd descend into glory. He knew everything.

But what about the Apostle Paul? Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy chapter 4. Paul says this in verse number 14. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. At my first defense, no one supported me, but all deserted me.

All deserted me. At my first defense, no one was there. Everybody ran. Everybody was scattered. May it not be counted against them. But notice verse 17.

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Paul says I was left alone. Nobody else was there to support me. Nobody else was there to strengthen me. Nobody else cared about my survival, except the Lord. He stood with me. During my time of profound loneliness, when I was all alone, the Lord stood with me. And the Lord strengthened me. And the question is, why did the Lord strengthen him during his period of aloneness? Look what it says. So that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.

I was rescued out of death. And then he says this. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. In other words, he says, look, you need to understand that I was all alone, but the Lord stood with me. And why did the Lord stand with me during my periods of loneliness? Because God had a purpose for my life. Just like during your periods of loneliness, when you're all alone in the darkness of your night, in the time when you lay your head on your pillow and there's no one there to comfort you, no one there to engage you, no one there to give you words of encouragement during a crisis, the Lord will stand with you.

And will do what? He will stand with you so that you can do what God's called you to do, to proclaim the truth of the gospel amidst your loneliness. Understand this, that our Lord stands with us during those times when we're all alone because God has a purpose for our lives. And so, even though there's a sad commentary on the lonely, there's a supreme commentary from the Lord for those who are lonely. And the Lord is saying, look, next time you feel all alone, next time you feel isolated, next time you feel like there's no one there to comfort you, when you're having a, quote, pity party for yourself because no one cares about the condition of your soul, no one cares about what's happening, He says, listen, put all that aside, take up your slave's apron, put it around your waist, and go serve your fellow man.

Because when you do that, what happens is that you begin to build the kind of friendships that you need to have for the rest of your life. No longer are you self-absorbed, no longer are you introspective, no longer are you just looking at yourself. See, this is why it's so important to understand the scriptures and to understand what God is doing. Why? You know, the Lord has put us in Ecclesiastes 4 in 1 Thessalonians 3. Ecclesiastes 4 on Wednesdays, 1 Thessalonians 3 on Sundays for a reason at the same time.

It's not accidental. It's providential. Because we need to know what model friends look like so that we can assist those who need a friend and be the friend to those who need friends. And yet at the same time, God is willing to get our attention as a church to understand our responsibility to one another. Notice that in that same context, even though the Lord stood with him, even though that he knew the Lord would rescue him out of the lion's mouth, even though the Lord would take him safely to his kingdom, Paul was still in need of companions.

Still in need of friends. So he says in verse number 9 to Timothy, Make every effort to come to me soon. Verse 21 he says, Make every effort to come before winter. In other words, he longs for companionship. He longs for friendship. Even though in the midst of the fact that he knows God will stand with him and God will strengthen him and God will use him, there is this human element of our lives that says, Come before winter. Come to me soon. Notice Luke, the physician, was with him.

That's important. Why did he need a physician? Because he was always getting beaten, shipwrecked, persecuted. Luke was his own personal physician. So wherever Paul went, Luke went. Because someone had to bend him up, put him back together, and shove him back out to proclaim the gospel again. That was Luke's job. But notice also what he says.

He says in verse number 11, Although only Luke is with me, pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. Remember the confrontation he had with Barnabas about John Mark? And he said he didn't want John Mark to come with him and Barnabas said, No, he'd be good for us. And Paul said, Nope, I'm not taking him with me. And so I'm off in another direction. If you want him, you can have him. A couple of decades later, after Barnabas' ministry to John Mark, Paul now says, He's useful to me for the ministry.

Why? Because loneliness makes us aware of the significance of others, especially with those we thought were insignificant. And that's why John Mark was valuable to the Apostle Paul. So even though there's a sad commentary for the lonely, you can read the Scriptures. Just read about Elijah. How lonely he felt after Jezebel wanted to kill him. He went all the way down to Beersheba, southern part of the land of Israel. And then went another day's journey into the desert before God got his attention and says, I got a companion for you.

His name is Elisha. And you're going to throw the mantle on him. He's going to take your place. Don't feel alone. Don't feel like you're isolated all by yourself. I got a guy just for you, Elijah. Even David had his Jonathan, right? Even Naomi had her Ruth. Friendship is very important. And so when we come to Ecclesiastes chapter 4, what Solomon does is he explains to us what it means to have friends. How valuable it is. I tend to think that Solomon didn't have very many friends. When you're as rich as he is, and as popular as he is, and as important as he is, and he's the king of Israel, I'm not sure Solomon had very many close friends, if any.

Which would cause him to write Survival Council for the Lonely. That's point number two. It's tragic when people live their lives for themselves, only to find out when they get older, they're all alone. A lot of people do that. You know, we think that true manhood is to be alone and to conquer the world by myself. And I can do this thing. I'm independent. That's it. I don't need anybody's help. But Solomon says quite the opposite. He says very readily, in verse number nine, two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. And furthermore, if two lie down together, they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. Remember what Solomon wrote in Proverbs chapter 18, verse number one?

A man who isolates himself seeks his own desires. He rages against all wise judgment. Those are great words. A man who isolates himself seeks his own desires. He does it for his own selfish purposes. He does it for himself. But he rages against all wise judgment. It was a Jewish proverb that states, a friendless man is like a left-hand bereft of the right. So true. So Solomon says there's three things that comes about because of friendship. One is success. Two is support. And three is strength. First is success.

Two are better than one. Why? Because they bring a good reward from their labor. Now that's obvious. We understand that. Why try to do something yourself unless you're a perfectionist? And sometimes those of us who are perfectionists want to do it all by ourselves anyway because we don't want anybody to mess it up. The old adage goes, well, if you want something done right, do it yourself, right? And so we do it ourselves, by ourselves. But the bottom line is, there's a good return for your labor when you join hands with someone else.

Success happens when you have a friend by your side. Success is available to you when you work side by side. You become very productive. It's easier to do difficult jobs together and encourage one another. Think of the disciples in Luke chapter 10. Christ didn't send them out one by one. He sent them out two by two. Why would the Lord send the disciples out two by two? Simply because He knows Ecclesiastes chapter 4. He knows that two are better than one. He also knows the book of Deuteronomy because He wrote it, like He wrote Ecclesiastes 4.

And so He knows the book of Deuteronomy that says, in the mouth of two or three witnesses everything shall be confirmed. So He knows that there needs to be more than one person. There needs to be at least two to confirm the testimony of the risen Messiah, that Jesus Christ is Lord and King. His Kingdom is here. At the same time, if one gets discouraged, the other one is there to encourage him. He knows that two going together provides the strength and stability and the survival that they need to accomplish the task before them.

And so He sends them out two by two. You understand that. I understand that. Solomon gets it. And so he says, look, the survival counsel for the lonely is to make sure you have a friend, a close associate, a companion. Why? Because in order for there to be success, you need someone besides you. On top of that, you need support. That's verses 10 and 11. If one falls, if one fails, if one falters, there's someone there to pick them up. There's someone there to lift them up. There's someone there to help them.

That's why I love what the Bible says in the book of Proverbs, the 17th chapter, the 17th verse, a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.

When you go through adversity, where's the brother? Where's the friend that's by your side? Look what it says over in Proverbs chapter 27. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend. And do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away. I know we like to say that blood is thicker than water, but that's nowhere in the Bible. We say that, but if it's not in the Bible, it's probably not true.

So if you have a brother that's close, a friend that's close, better than a brother far away. He says in verse five, better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. You need a friend that will come alongside of you and counsel you and confront you and be there during times of crises and difficulties. Verse 17 of Proverbs 27, iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Paul had the same thing in mind in Galatians chapter six when he said this in verse number one, brethren, if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to your own self so that you too will not be tempted.

Bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. If anyone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual, you who are mature, you're to go and lift that person up, raise them up, hold them up, help them up and be there to encourage them. That's why over in the book of Hebrews in the fifth chapter, the first verse it says, for every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided since he himself also is beset with weaknesses. So God says that when you choose a high priest, you choose one from among men.

Why? Because that high priest then will be gentle among those who are ignorant and misguided because he is also a man of infirmity, a man of weakness. And you need someone who can come alongside and counsel you and guide you through those difficult times. You need friends for success, for support. Remember that Life Alert commercial? I've fallen and I can't get up. God forbid that that should be somebody in the church, right? That somebody is caught in a trespass, caught in some kind of difficulty and they fall and there's no one there to help them up, no one there to lift them up, no one there to come alongside and be an encouragement to them during times of difficulty, to give them words of comfort, to give them guidance that they might be able to understand what is happening.

We need to be there for others. Isn't it interesting that friends help us in our walk with the Lord? Do you have the kind of friend that not only breeds success in your life but gives you the support you need when you falter? The kind of friend that's there to lift you when you fall. The kind of friend that's there not to condemn you, yes, to confront you if you're in sin, that's a good friend to have. If you're going the wrong way, they're going to say, no, that's the wrong way. You don't do that.

You don't say that. You don't go there. That's the kind of friend you need, a friend that's willing to stick his neck out and his friendship on the line to keep you from falling into sin. But if someone does fall into some kind of trespass, some kind of difficulty, is there someone there to lift him, to help him? Interesting, he says these words. He says, furthermore, if two lie down together, they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And we think of that in the context of marriage, but remember, he's not talking about marriage.

He's talking about friendship. He's talking about companionship. He's talking about success and support. It's a Near Eastern phrase that deals with when they used to travel in caravans, they would all gather together because of the cold desert nights and they would use themselves laying down together to keep themselves warm. Metaphorically, Solomon is saying, look, you need someone who's going to come along and warm your cold soul. Someone who's going to come and thaw you out when you are frigid.

Someone there to come alongside and to warm you. And then he says this. He says, very interesting, not only is there success, but there is strength. Why? He says these words. And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. And commentators have different takes on that as to what that means. Some say, well, the cord of three strands is the trinity. But Solomon's not talking about the triune God. Others use it in the realm of marriage, right?

And so you have a husband and a wife that come together and on the wedding ceremony day, they take this cord of three strands and they wrap it around together. And symbolic of their lives being wrapped around the Lord in a cord of three strands is full of strength. It will not be broken. But he's not talking about marriage. That's not the emphasis. I know people use it that way, but that's not in the context. He's talking about a person who is alone but receives strength from two others who are connected to him in order to give him the strength that he needs during a time of crisis and difficulty.

He needs the strength. And the cord of three strands, when intertwined together and coming together as one, provide the strength that's necessary during times of difficulty and hardship. So Solomon says, during your times of aloneness, there needs to be a friend, a companion. Think about it this way. Remember last week, we talked about in verse number one, the many that went to the two that went to the one?

Here it begins with the one that goes to the two that goes now to three. It's Hebrew poetry. That's what Solomon is doing. He's helping you understand that with the multitude of people that come alongside of you, if they're supportive of you, they're there to be your friend and companion, they're going to give you the strength, the support, the success, the survival that's necessary to get through life. See, unfortunately, we have the wrong concept of friendship. We want people to be our friend, but we're not so sure we want to be a friend of others.

And that's why the model friend on Sunday mornings is so important. Because you want to be able to sacrifice yourself personally. We talked about that on Sunday. You also want to strengthen others spiritually, right? And this week we'll talk about how you support them effectively and enthusiastically. Because that's what friends do. They support one another. They strengthen one another. And Solomon says two are better than one. And so when you come to the last set of verses, he comes to the fourth better in the text.

In verse 3, it's better not having been born than experiencing oppression. In verse 6, it's better to have little with quietness or peace than much turmoil. In verse 9, better two than one. And in verse number 13, better a wise though poor child over an old king who's foolish. And so he says a poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction. You can't help but think that Solomon reflected upon his old age. Remember, he's written Ecclesiastes toward the end of his life.

The Song of Solomon was first. Proverbs was somewhere in the middle. And Ecclesiastes is at the end. And maybe he's referring to himself as the old foolish king who refuses to receive instruction. A lot of times that happens when we get older. We think we know everything. We've lived long enough. We've seen enough. We've been educated enough. We know everything. We don't want anybody to tell us what to do. We think we know everything. And maybe that was Solomon. I mean, after all, he was the wisest man on the planet, right?

Richest man on the planet. He was an architect. He was a poet. He was an author. He was a songwriter. I mean, the guy had everything. Who can teach him anything? Who can tell him anything? And maybe he's self-reflecting and says the poor wise man is a lot better than the old foolish king who refuses to receive instruction. Maybe he's reflecting back when he was younger, in his younger years when he was wise and he wrote the book of Proverbs and he was young. He wasn't poor. He was rich. But as he got older and engaged in all kind of sinful behavior to kind of fill the void that he felt was so deep in his life that he could not fill it with God and his word, he realized that he wasn't receiving instruction as an old man.

So he says this. For he has come out of prison. Who? A young wise guy. Come out of prison to become king even though he was born poor in his kingdom. I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him for this too is vanity and striving after the wind. Solomon is uniquely qualified to address this because he speaks about popularity. Because he thinks and knows that somehow we think that being popular is the answer to our loneliness. But it's not because he was popular. And so the young king becomes or the young person in prison, the poor person becomes the king and throngs of people surround him and go after him and praise him for his kingship.

The old man just kind of goes off the scene. But after a while, after a while, all those people who once praised him turn against him. Why? Because the emphasis is on popularity. It's not all that's cracked up to be. And you think that because everybody is singing your praises. Think about Christ. When he rode into Jerusalem and everybody sung his praises. Hosanna to the son of David. Right? And they praised his name. They took off their garments. They laid him down at his feet. They took the palm branches and they began to wave him saying this is the king.

That was on Monday. How quickly the tide turned by Friday when no longer were they praising him. They wanted to crucify him. So Solomon is saying look, the popularity of worldliness doesn't give you anything. In fact, you know what? Some of the most loneliest people in the world are the most popular people in the world. You see a person with lots of friends who's really busy doing all kinds of things and we think that as wow, look how strong they are and how people love to be around them and how busy they are and how effective they are getting things done.

They're so magnificent but most of those people are some of the loneliest people you'll ever know because they're doing all those things to cover up the blankness of what's on the inside. Trying to keep themselves busy. Trying to fill the void that's there never realizing that they are so incredibly lonely. And the popular person, as Solomon was, he wants to let you know that this is not the answer. The answer is in a friend that will give you success. That will come alongside and support you and strengthen you.

The apostle Paul knew that. He understood it very well. He traveled with companions. Whether it was Silas, Barnabas, Timothy. You can read 2 Timothy 4 and look at all the friends that he had.

And they were with him at different times. And in different ways they would strengthen him. They would support him. They would help him in the ministry. They'd come alongside him. But notice he wasn't dependent upon his friends.

He was only dependent upon the Lord. So when he was all alone, the Lord would stand with him and strengthen him and rescue him. Because in all reality, the thing that we need the most is Jesus Christ our Lord. Over in John 15, the Lord says, you are my friends if you do whatever I command you. You're my friend. And you gotta ask yourself, are you a friend of God? Abraham was a friend of God. Right? Now Abraham wasn't totally and completely and fully obedient to God. But that was the habit pattern of his life.

And he was a friend of God. And Christ makes it very clear that when you obey my commandments and you follow me, you are truly my friend. And I wonder tonight, how many of us truly have a friend in Christ? In Jesus Christ our Lord. Do we truly know him? Are we truly intimate with him? Do we understand true friendship from a biblical perspective? Are we able to come to the Lord and engage him in the scriptures and know that as we open the word, he is speaking to us through his word to explain to us who he is and what he's done.

That we might learn to trust him all the more and believe in him and depend upon him. And are we the kind of people that know him in such a way that when we go through those periods of loneliness, when we're all by ourselves, we cry out to him, like the psalmist did over and over again, crying out to the Lord in his distress, in his loneliness, in his pain, knowing that the Lord would be there to answer him and be sufficient for him. I wonder how many of us really know that. You know, as Christians, we are never ever alone.

Christ is always present with us. We look at ourselves as lonely and alone, but Christ is always there.

He never leaves. He never forsakes. He's always there. So whatever trial you go through, whatever painful experience you're engaged in, whatever periods of loneliness you face, the Lord is there. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. And I ask myself this question, how many of us really know the Lord in such a way that we draw comfort and we draw strength and support and encouragement from the Lord?

Because you see, when you do that, then what happens when you come alongside of a friend that's experiencing periods of hardship and loneliness, you can begin to instruct him in the ways of righteousness, teaching him about the Lord, teaching him about how the Lord was there for you and took care of you during your time of pain. You should always trust in him. My prayer for you and me is that during those times when we're all alone and experiencing loneliness, we remember the words of our Lord. If you do what I've done for you, you're going to receive a blessing.

When nobody cares about you, what you're going through, the pain you're going to experience, get up, tie a sleigh's apron around your waist, and serve your fellow man. When you do that, everything changes. You'll be blessed, Christ says, if you do this.

And my prayer for you and me is that we be the kind of people that truly cling to the Lord and let him guide us through every day. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you, Lord, for the opportunity you give us to spend time in your word. Truly, Lord, you are a great God. Truly, Lord, you do for us what no one else can do. My prayer for everyone in the room today, Lord, is that they would truly know you. So many times, Father, we come to church and we sit and we just kind of soak in what's here, but never take it to heart.

Lord, we know that the word effectively works in those who believe. That's what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 2.13.

And if we are truly believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, then your word is taking root in our lives and transforming us, conforming us, to the image of our great God. So our prayer, Father, tonight is for everyone in the room, that, Lord, you would use them in a mighty way in the lives of others to strengthen and support and to come alongside and be the friend to them that they need to be. Knowing, Lord, that you, you are the lifter of our heads. You are the one who comforts our soul. And we thank you for that, Lord.

And trust that as we go through the rest of this night into the rest of this week, that you'd use us in the lives of others. That we'd recognize the blessing that comes from tying on a slave's apron, rolling up our sleeves, and serving our fellow man. That we might truly get our eyes off of ourself and onto you, the great God and Savior of our lives. We pray this in Jesus' glorious name. Amen.