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University SDA Church- East Lansing

Jermaine Gayle

I Sat Alone

Loving Father, we are grateful for the gift of life, we are grateful for the gift of salvation, and we're grateful for the gift of the Son, Jesus Christ Himself, who paid it all so that we can stand here today in gratitude.

Oh Father, preach the message, is our prayer in Jesus' name, amen.

There are times when you choose a sermon, prayerfully that is, and Then God gives you an experience That makes the sermon a reality for you Well this week.

I was driving home It was Tuesday night might have been probably around 915 or something like that left my office I was working on something important and then was making my way home on highway 69 I was about maybe 5 to 7 minutes from my house my exit was coming up and They say accidents happen when you're closest to home.

Well, this week I sat alone on Highway 69, pulled over on the shoulder because I hit a deer.

Nice size buck making his way in the full moon across Highway 69.

Maybe in his travel plans he didn't think I was coming.

I certainly didn't have him in my plans either.

I saw him maybe for a split second before I heard the big hit.

And I realized my car was not gonna go any further.

It's my first time ever hitting a deer in Michigan.

I've lived there for over, what, 9, close to 9 years now.

Maybe my math is off, but never hit a deer.

There are times where I leave this church and wonderful church family members are like, hey, pastor, be careful.

I don't know if I could be any more careful than what I was.

It's getting to the colder winter months now and it's deer season coming up.

I was sitting right on the highway, pulled over to the shoulder, waiting for the first responders.

My first time ever calling 911 intentionally.

And as I'm there trying to figure out what to do, first responders came out and we were just having a friendly conversation.

The police officer was so kind, she took me to the gas station close to home and Ali picked me up and my car was on a, what do you call those things, a wrecker taking it to the yard.

This was Tuesday night and some are saying well that's totaled.

I don't know, I'm still waiting for a response from the insurance company.

I went back to the to the yard to take a look at it in the daytime because I wasn't sure what the damage was.

That radiator was pushed into the engine.

So I stepped out of the car and was standing on the shoulder just watching this thing smoking.

And it turns out it was just the radiator.

The firemen came out and put a thermometer and they were checking to see if there was any fire starting so good news there was no fire and I was okay.

I come to church praising God this morning.

I don't know about you, but I've been through stuff.

In fact, I didn't even know where he was.

I drove by the next day wondering if I would see him and Apparently someone got him.

I think someone just took him, because he was, like I said, he was a nice-sized deer.

So someone might have helped themselves to a deer.

So he might have blessed somebody even in death, apparently.

There are times, yes, when the Lord allows you to have an experience.

My sermon deals with an issue that comes up quite often nowadays.

In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States stated in 1 of his report back actually this year early this year.

He mentioned this report that in the recent years about 1 in 2 adults in America reported being lonely.

That's 1 in 2 adults in America report experiencing loneliness.

Before COVID, he says, before COVID cut off so many of us from friends, loved ones, and support systems, exacerbating loneliness and isolation.

And then he mentions furthermore, the rate of loneliness among young adults has increased every single year since the year 1976 and the trends are not getting better.

I would posit to you that probably in 1976 we had more of a community than we do now.

The report goes on to mention that actually men even more than ever before are suffering from loneliness.

And there's a book that I was gazing into, it's called Bowling Alone, and the author in the book mentions that people who experience loneliness are more susceptible to extremism.

Well perhaps it's because there are lonely people who are trying to find a way to live.

Another report that says that the times in which we feel the loneliest in our lives are in our late 20s, early 50s, or mid 50s and late 80s.

Right now what's fascinating is that people are capitalizing on this fact that most Americans are lonely.

Did you know there's a new job that's hitting the market now?

I read a story, a guy posted an ad on Craigslist and his ad was very simple.

I will listen to you talk for however long you want if you pay me to do it.

In a week, he probably got 5 phone calls.

The first time he spoke with the person, the individual, he says the first consultation is free.

So people just vent about job, vent about home, or vent about family, and he just listens.

And he listens, and what if you want another session of listening?

So if you're looking for a new career anybody professional listening is on the rise I never imagined that there would be the day where someone would you know you would shake the hand of someone you like what do you do for a living I am a professional listener can you imagine that But it's the rate of loneliness that's pervasive in our society that's causing this new job to hit the market.

And so maybe the time has come where we have a unique opportunity to preach the gospel.

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I Sat Alone

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