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Please turn with me to Genesis, chapter 2, verse 18. It’s on page 8 of the Scofield Study Bible. It’s Genesis, chapter 2,
verse 18.

“And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18).

God created the first man named Adam. He put that man in a beautiful Garden. A place called the “Garden of Eden.” The man had a perfect environment. He had a perfect supply of food. But he was alone. And he was lonely. God said that was not good. So God made a companion for him. I am lifting out ten words from that verse. Those words are my text. Those words are “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Those ten words are the basis of my sermon this morning. You may be seated.

“It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18).

I grew up in this church. I have heard Dr. Hymers preach nearly 2,000 sermons. One of his main topics was loneliness. I heard Dr. Hymers preach dozens of sermons on loneliness. I kept wondering why he preached so much on that subject. I myself didn’t feel lonely then. I was raised in a Christian home. My parents were always with me. We were always together in church. Why would I feel lonely? Yet, year after year, Dr. Hymers kept pounding away – preaching on loneliness. Finally I saw why he did it! He was preaching to young people. He was preaching to young people who were lonely. He was preaching to the needs of young people! Thank God we have a pastor who cares about us! Thank God he knows what we need! Thank God that he cares about you! And that he cares about all of us who are young! He focuses his sermons like a laser beam on a subject that we need to hear. We need to hear about the cure for loneliness. We need to hear about Jesus Christ. Because Christ alone can cure our loneliness. Because the church Christ created can cure our loneliness and give us new life, and new hope, and new and lasting friends.

A famous Baptist leader wrote an e-mail to Dr. Hymers. That leader told Dr. Hymers we need to find new preachers inside this church. He said, “Your church is so unique that you have to find someone inside. Most [preachers] would not fit the ministry you have created.”

Why is our church so unique? Why is our church different? Our church is different because Dr. Hymers himself was lonely as a teenager. That’s why our pastor created a church to help young people overcome their loneliness. That’s why I completely agree with Dr. Hymers. He has given us a new kind of church. A church he created to help lonely young people like you and me. God bless you, pastor, for having the courage to create a new kind of Baptist church! For creating a church where young people like me can find a real and lasting cure for loneliness!

At first I did not feel lonely. But later I heard Dr. Hymers speak on loneliness again. I knew it was for me! It was not just for other kids. It was for me too! I felt there was something I missed. I looked around at others in high school. I saw that they were lonely too. I saw that every young person I knew was lonely. When I saw that it broke my heart. I was crying. I felt strangely alone. I was numb. I was hopeless. I felt lost. No matter how many girlfriends guys had. No matter how many young people they knew. No matter how many parties and raves they went to. Nothing helped1 All of us at school were trapped. Trapped in an existential world. Trapped in a horrible cage. A horrible cage of loneliness and despair. Thank God Dr. Hymers came to show us a better way! A way to escape from the bondage of loneliness! Because God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone!” (Genesis 2:18). It is not good that the girl should be alone! And God showed Dr. Hymers how to help young people like you and me have a better life!

When I visit other churches I have seen the difference. I see the difference in evangelism. Other churches seem only interested in getting someone to leave their church and come with them. But Dr. Hymers told us they are wrong. He told us to go after lonely kids who had no church! He told us that young people like you and me are important too! In fact, he told us you and I are the most important of all! He told us that we too could be Christians! We too could make a difference! We too are loved by Jesus! We too could create a great church. And we could create that church in the inner city. In the inner city where others are afraid to go! And we could do that because we would give you the love of Christ. And friendships and fellowship you cannot find anywhere else! Why do we do that? Because God said so! God said “It is not good that the man should be alone!” That it is not good that a girl should be alone! And it is good to have a church where you are welcome! And where we want you! A church where you can overcome fear, and alienation, and loneliness through Jesus Christ!

Dr. Hymers had that vision because he grew up alone! His parents were divorced. He lived in houses where he was not wanted. He walked the streets alone. He felt lonely and unwanted. And out of his own loneliness, Dr. Hymers worked and prayed for God to help him create this church for you!

He knows that it gets harder every year to go from a teenager to an adult. He knows how lost you sometimes feel, even in a crowd. He knows what it feels like to lose friends. And that is why he created this church for young people like you and me!

Dr. Hymers knows that half of today’s young people have lived through their parents’ divorce! He knows how confused they feel. He knows that 63 percent of young people live in homes where both parents work. Where you come home and no one is there. He knows what it feels like to be home alone – because your mother is at work. He knows that the average young person spends three and a half hours alone every day. He knows there is nothing really wrong with you. You feel lonely because you are alone. No wonder you feel lonely! You are alone – too much alone! Too much overlooked! Too much to feel any other way!

Josh McDowell said, “We should not be surprised that the generation which suffers through parental divorce, comes home to an empty house, spends [too much] time alone, and sits for hours in front of a computer, is also the generation that feels [a] painful sense of aloneness” (Josh McDowell, The Disconnected Generation, Word, 2000, p. 10).

And that is why we have created the “new” Baptist Tabernacle. It’s a church that is more than one hour on Sunday morning! A church that isn’t closed on Sunday night! A church that is open on Saturday night – and all day long, from morning until late at night, on Sunday! A church that isn’t cold and unfriendly! But a church that is here to give you hope, and love, and friends that will never turn away from you. That is why I am proud to be a young preacher here! Here in the “new” Baptist Tabernacle!

Dr. Hymers joined a Chinese Baptist church when he was only nineteen years old. That is where he learned the value of a church that welcomes all races of people. That is where he learned how to lead a church. He learned that from his wise old Chinese pastor! He learned to make the church a second home! A second home for young people like you and me. A refuge from the loneliness of our city and our world! Dr. Hymers knows the truth that three young people expressed.

One young person said, “I am so lonely I can hardly stand it. I want to be special to someone, but there’s no one who cares about me. I can’t remember anyone smiling at me, or wanting to be with me. I feel so empty inside.” A young man said, “There is something inside me that makes me want to cry, and I don’t even know what it is.” A young woman said, “I have always had a strong feeling of loneliness. Yesterday I saw a guy my age with his head in his hands. I found out that we both have been lonely for years.”

What they said was so true. The greatest problem facing young people today is loneliness! I know that is true. I know that most of you agree with me! You can be in a crowd. But you don’t really know the people personally. You can go on a date, but you know it won’t last long. You can fall in love. But soon it is over. You can walk through a mall, but no one there knows you or cares about you. You can go to Facebook, or a chat line – but you know that those you contact don’t care about you. They are only cyberfriends – not real friends!

What is the answer? The answer is right here! The answer is here at the “new” Baptist Tabernacle! You will not find any other place quite like this! We created it for you! We went out and invited you to come. You gave us your phone number. We called you and invited you to a party. You came! Thank God you came! We are going upstairs to have the party. We will talk and eat. We will have fun just being together! And it will never end. Other parties always come to an end. But our parties never end! We will always be here for you! At the “new” Baptist Tabernacle.

They call Disneyland “the happiest place on earth.” But they are wrong! The happiest place on earth is right here! Right here at the “new” Baptist Tabernacle!

Jesus Christ Himself created this church. He spoke to Dr. Hymers, our pastor. He spoke to the young men behind me on this platform. He spoke to the older people as well. Jesus Christ told us to bring you here and help you, and care for you, and love you! Jesus Christ said to us,

“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”
       (Luke 14:23).

We obeyed Jesus. We went out and got you to come and be with us. And I’m glad you came! We are all glad you came!

When Dr. Hymers was in high school he had a friend – a smart kid – but he was lonely and depressed. Dr. Hymers was only a teenager himself. But he invited his friend to come to church with him. The kid said no – it wasn’t for him. Then one day that kid took a gun and shot himself in the head. He left a note, saying he couldn’t stand the depression and loneliness any more. He killed himself one afternoon in 1958. He missed a lot of things by doing that. He missed life itself! He missed finding Jesus! He missed the real meaning of life!

I hope you don’t make a mistake like that! Don’t let the confusion and loneliness of life destroy you. Don’t tell me this church isn’t for you. Don’t you dare tell me that! Come with us next Sunday. You will find that there is an answer. I know you will! I know it myself. I know it because I see so many other young people who know it too! Make this church your second home! Come back tonight and have dinner with us – and hear our pastor, Dr. Hymers, speak. He is an old man. But he is a man of courage and a man of love. He has the courage to let young men like me preach in his pulpit. He has enough love to throw open the doors of our church and bring in young people like you and me. Young people like us, who will discover the reality of Jesus Christ! Young people like us, who will find what we have been looking for here. Here at the “new” Baptist Tabernacle! Here where we preach Christ and Him crucified! Because we are not here just to be friendly. We are here to tell you the good news of the Gospel. The good news that Jesus Christ died on the Cross. That He died on the Cross to save us from sin and loneliness and Hell.

I was just a happy kid, just having fun, playing basketball, fooling around. But one day it hit me – and it hit me hard! I had missed something in life. I wasn’t sure what it was. But I knew something was missing. I was crying. I felt strangely alone. I felt numb. I felt hopeless. I tried to talk to my friends. But my friends didn’t have any answers. They couldn’t help me. Then the Holy Spirit showed me Jesus on the Cross. Jesus was bleeding and dying for me. Dying in my place – to pay for my sins. I saw the Blood of Jesus flowing from the Cross. Dr. Hymers asked me if I would trust Christ. I said “yes.” I came to Jesus with all my sin and guilt. Jesus didn’t turn me away. In that moment I rested in Jesus. It was Jesus and His sin-cleansing Blood that saved me. He gave me eternal life. He took away my sins and my loneliness. I love Him because He first loved me. He loved me on that old rugged cross. He brought me out of the fear of death. He brought me out of the rottenness of sin. I felt as low as dirt, but Jesus pulled me up and saved me.

When you trust Jesus you will feel His love as I did. Jesus will give you hope. Jesus will give you real friends. Jesus will forgive your sins! Jesus will give you love and joy. I urge you to come to Jesus. I urge you to come back to our church and hear even more about Jesus Christ. Come to Jesus and be saved by Him alone.

Dr. Hymers wrote the song Mr. Griffith sang a moment ago. Let’s all stand and sing it. It’s number 4 on your song sheet, “Come Home to Dinner.” It’s number 4 on your song sheet. Sing it!

Come home to Jesus, the table is spread;
Come home to dinner and let us break bread.
Jesus is with us, so let it be said,
Come home to dinner and let us break bread!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!

The fellowship’s sweet and your friends will be here;
We’ll sit at the table, our hearts filled with cheer.
Jesus is with us, so let it be said,
Come home to dinner and let us break bread!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!

The big city people just don’t seem to care;
They’ve little to offer and no love to spare.
But come home to Jesus and you’ll be aware,
There’s food on the table and friendship to share!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!

Come home to Jesus, the table is spread;
Come home to dinner and you will be fed.
Your friends will be waiting, so let it be said,
Come home to dinner and let us break bread!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!
   (“Come Home to Dinner” by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr.;
      to the tune of “On the Wings of a Dove.”)

Dr. Hymers, please come and close this service.

(END OF SERMON)
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Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Mr. Aaron Yancy: Luke 14:16-23.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“Come Home to Dinner” (by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr.).