If you're confused at why God has isolated you, there's
something very. Important I want you to know
but. Before we get to that.
As you can see, I've got. Some coffee.
In the background. Now.
For those of you. Who are new to the channel?
This is my second channel. My channel, which is aimed just
at Christians Off the Curb Ministries, is.
My main channel. Where I try and reach Christians
and non Christians alike with the.
Gospel, but this one is just for the believers.
Of the world. And.
If you are watching today, I know many of you have been
requesting. Come on, Joe, I want to drink a
coffee with you again. I want a nice cup of Joe with.
Joe So I've brought my coffee today.
I'm not downstairs in my kitchen because if I'm honest.
We haven't done the dishes. So I.
Won't want to embarrass me or my wife at the state we're living
at the moment, but we're just normal people and that's.
Really. What this channel is?
A little bit. About.
Me just talking to you? About some things the Lord has
laid on my heart. Recently.
And we just share those things here anyway.
This is a. French Press and it's.
Booze, coffee, booze, coffee. So you probably won't have heard
of that. Well, you definitely won't have
heard of it if you're overseas. If you're from the.
South of England. You probably have never heard of
booze coffee. Either, and it's something up
here in the north. So let's.
Give this a try. By the way, this is your
opportune moment. Now to pause the video.
Go and grab yourself a cup of tea, a cup of coffee, whatever
you fancy. Pause the video.
And come back. And I'll be waiting for you with
this Bible study. So has God recently isolated
you? As he left.
You alone, do you feel like? Why all of a sudden have all the
people? I once leaned on all the.
People I was close to. Why are they just disappearing,
and why is it just me alone? Well, there's a few things I
want to say about this. One of the first things is this.
You did know that some of the godliest Saints of the.
Past they were. All very lonely people.
Kori Tamboon. Very, very lonely in those
camps. All alone.
Eric Liddle. The video we just covered.
Literally. Last week he was.
So lonely after winning a gold medal in the.
Olympics. And then all alone in China.
And then we've got Elijah alone in those caves, alone in the
wilderness, all alone with only the Lord, with only those Ravens
to come down and give him some food.
Moses. You remember Moses, don't you,
Moses? Remember, at times he's, you
know, he's got all of the people.
Moaning against him. And he has to go to the.
Lord, all alone. And then come back to.
The people, these people that took.
Out their anger, all of their complaints on him, and then
Joseph. You remember Joseph?
He felt alone because God had placed a certain anointing on
his life. And he would tell his brothers
these dreams, and I'll be honest, if I was one of his
brothers and I was told, you know, you're going to one day
bow down. To me.
I too would. Be pretty annoyed.
And yet Joseph was alone. He was sold.
He spent time alone in a pit. He spent time alone in prison,
time alone, working in a foreign country in Egypt.
In Potiphar's house. And then, yes, he was a ruler.
But again. He was still.
The only one there from Israel, the only one there who loved the
true living God, all alone. And then we've got Saints like
Isaiah, Jeremiah. Ezekiel all these.
Men who were given a tough ministry some of.
Them were even told. The Lord said to them, You're
going to preach now and no one is going to listen.
And that's often. Those kind of messages.
That help us as. Street.
Preachers. I remember in my younger days,
I'd stand there for hours and hours, all on my own.
No one was interested. Not even the seagulls.
Were listening. And I've actually got seagulls
on my T. Shirt today, but they weren't.
Listening No. One was listening.
And yet I remembered, Yes, Isaiah would preach and no one
would listen. The people's hearts would be.
So hardened to. The word of.
God, they wouldn't listen. And then we've.
Got our Saviour, the Lord Jesus. Christ.
He often withdrew. He spent time alone in in the
secluded places and the quiet. Places.
And he could. Never.
Yes, He had the disciples, but He knew that they would all
scatter. They'd all leave.
Him. He.
Knew one of them. Would betray him and.
Jesus even said this. He said he didn't want to get.
Close to men because he knew what was inside men's hearts.
There is an. Evilness in my heart.
There's an evilness in your heart.
No matter. Whether you are.
Saved and you love the Lord Jesus Christ.
You read the word of God. Daily there is.
Evilness. There's pride.
There's jealousy, selfish ambition, all these sins that we
constantly have to. Keep coming to the Lord and
confessing and turning from because we'll.
Never be the. Finished article on this Earth.
You know that I know that we'll never be perfect.
No, it will keep failing. God.
And yet there is this inside of us.
That made the. Lord Jesus Christ, sort of.
Flunch back from From Men and women because he knew there was
a darkness there when I first became a Christian.
This is really when I first knew what it was to be isolated for
the Lord I I was. I know this is going to sound a
little bit cringy, but I'm just going to be completely
transparent and tell the truth. When I was at school, I had a
sort of a mixed bag at. Times I was.
Bullied and I was on my own, but then there was times when I was.
Popular more to the end. Of high school and and into.
College. I was quite.
Popular and I remember in our friendship group that I was in
just before I became a Christian.
I know this is cringy to say, but.
I was. The popular one.
You know, I was the one that had.
Friends everywhere. And I was the one that made
everyone laugh. I was loud.
I was confident all of this, but I remember.
Very specifically. The moment I became a Christian,
suddenly little things used to happen.
Like, no longer was, you know. The other kind of leader of the
group saying come and. Sit in the front seat of.
The car next to me. As I drive no Joe.
You just get in the back. Suddenly, I was.
Laughed at. I was ignored suddenly, you know
when my friends would go to? The pub.
I wouldn't get an invite. And you know, that's another
conversation where the Christians can drink.
That's a completely another conversation.
In a nutshell, yes they can. But in moderation but I.
Personally, don't. I'll just give you that now if
you want to know my own opinion on that.
But you know, I wasn't. Invited to go.
To the pub and I would. Have gone to the pub if I was.
Invited and you know, maybe got a coffee or.
Something else like that, but suddenly I.
Felt very. Very isolated and I found myself
from going to being very, very popular to having no friends
whatsoever. Over to you.
Talk to me now. I reckon some of you listening
right now, you've had exactly the same experience.
Where you you probably had. Lots of friends.
And then suddenly. They all disappeared.
As soon as you aligned yourself with the Son of God.
You were hated without of. Course, like Jesus said, if.
They hated me. Well, they will hate you also
when you experienced that first hand.
I remember very recently another guy you know who I met at church
a little while ago. And you know when.
You. Can sort of tell when.
Someone's cool. You know us dudes, we have a
dude, Radar where we can tell that guy's a dude, you know?
And he was a. A dude, this guy.
He was a cool guy. He used to go to the music.
Festivals. You know the way he carried
himself. You.
Know he had a few tattoos. Not saying these things
necessarily make you cool, but he was.
And he said to me when he first got saved.
He had a. Wonderful opportunity.
He had all these friends who are non Christians and he could
share his testimony with them. And then I approached him a few
weeks later and said how did it go, you know, sharing the gospel
with them? And he said, well that didn't
turn out well. Pretty soon they all ditched me
and didn't want anything to do with me.
And now yeah, I. Revisited his church.
And I saw he was alone, sitting on his own in church.
I'm sure he does have friends in in the church, but you get what
I'm trying to. Say that.
There's a loneliness. That that Christians.
Have to to walk. I also remember now.
I have talked about. This quite a bit on my main
channel, but I remember when I was then a Christian, I then
went through many years of being a Christian.
I then got a secular job and then I went into ministry.
One of the hardest things I ever went through is you've probably.
Heard of a midlife crisis? Well, I went.
Through 1/4 life crisis at 25. And I'm not the only one.
When I talk to people, they seem to go through a sense around the
ages of 242526, even 27. There seems to be something
where this. As Jesus said, you know anyone
who puts their hand on the plow and looks.
Back. Is not fit.
For the Kingdom. And yet often.
There's many. Christians around that age.
Who if something happens to them where they are?
Tempted to look? Back.
They are tempted. To think my youth is going here
and that really did happen to me.
I was married young at 22 and my wife would.
Go out to work, I was. In ministry on my own, writing
sermons, in my office on my own, I was giving out leaflets on
thousands. Of doors, 3000 doors.
I remember in just a couple of months I was posting Christian
leaflets. Through I was trying to chat to
people. As I said, ignored on the.
Streets. And my only friends were older
Christian men who were just being kind to me, you know, but
they weren't, you know, buddies as such.
And I remember feeling so, so lonely.
And then I'd see, you know, non Christian friends of mine on
Facebook and they were going to Australia.
They were having fun. They were at Wild.
Parties they were. Living this lifestyle and I
just. Could see.
I wasn't having fun. There was seriousness, you know,
It was always. Just seemed so dour, so serious.
So alone all the time, feeling guilty, because at that time I
was living in besetting sin and I kept returning to it.
There was always that. Guilt there.
And I was alone. Another friend I.
Had he actually was isolated? For a very interesting reason, I
remember he used to come to my church and he wasn't a Christian
and he was a bit older than me and I used to look up to him and
think this guy's really, really cool.
And anyway, he went to a a party one night and he fell out with
one of his friends. He was again popular in this
group. And his.
Friends all turned on him and they got into a, you know?
A fist fight. And it made him lose all of his
friends, and he had no friends, so he came to church.
Because he wanted some friends, someone to talk to.
And after going to church, what do you think happened?
He heard the message. Of the cross, the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he wonderfully.
Got saved. So the question is, why does God
isolate us? Sometimes He does.
Do this, yes. To to.
Bring us. To Jesus sometimes.
We have to, as they say, cut off the fact all those things.
That are hindering. Us.
All those things that are stopping us from coming to the
Lord Jesus Christ, he'll stop that.
I remember when I when I before I became a Christianist.
So I got saved at 18. At 17 years old, there was a
sort. Of inward battle, going on where
I wanted to. Trust in Christ.
I was scared of dying. I was.
Scared of the. Hell, that awaited me, but I
kept. Putting it off because I had
all. These friends, and you know, I'd
also. Bought.
Something I won't go. Into too many details.
But I'd bought something with my friends.
We'd all got some money together and we'd bought something that
was wrong. And there was a night when I
remember I. Felt like I should.
Draw No. Close to.
The Lord Jesus Christ, I should trust in him, but because I put.
Some money into buying this certain thing.
I wanted to go away on that weekend and to enjoy this thing
with those friends of mine. And so that put me off coming to
Christ. And I needed to lose those
things. But sometimes, Sometimes.
There are a bigger purposes. Why the Lord God might isolate
us if. You've got a.
Bible there, please. Would you turn to one Samuel
chapter 17, one Samuel chapter 17?
And we're going to read verses 28 to 29.
And I'm just going to have some coffee because I know I'm
talking a lot right now and I'm sure you're enjoying.
Your coffee. One Samuel 17 verses 28 to 29
Now Eliab. His oldest brother heard.
When he spoke to the men and Eliab's anger was aroused
against David. And he said.
Why did you come down here and with?
Whom have you left those few? Sheep in the wilderness.
I know your pride. And the insolence?
Of your hearts for you. Have come down to.
See the battle? And David said what?
Have I done? Now is there.
Not a cause. Now you probably know this
story. Well.
Here, David comes down. He's sent to just bring a.
Bit of food. By his father, Jacob.
To his brothers. Who were down in this great big
battle with? Goliath, this huge giant, and
David, that little shepherd lad said.
I'm not afraid. I'll fight him.
Very often I've been able. To fight off wild animals.
The Lord was with me then, he'll be with me now.
And as he's saying this, as he's saying he's ready to.
Do all of. This who should?
Try and stop him but Eliab. His oldest brother.
Now there's a big lesson. Here God does isolate us at
times. God does at times bring us aside
because there is a greater purpose He has, He has a
greater. Anointing He has something in
our mind. It might not be great in the
world. 'S eyes.
But to the Lord this is important.
And when this? Happens you'll often.
Find. That the nearest and dearest
your friends and your. Family members.
Will try. To demoralise you.
They'll try to stop you. They'll try to say, oh, you're
only doing it because of this, or you shouldn't do that.
And they will. Stop you from.
Fulfilling the Lord's mission in your life, now I am being.
Very very personal here. And before I say this, I want
you to know my wife is incredibly supportive of this
YouTube channel right now. As I speak.
She's gone out to let me film. Because we don't live in a
massive. House, as you can hear.
These walls this. Is the room that I always film
in that they're very hollow and you?
Can just hear. Anything.
So my wife. Goes out when I film.
She's very kind. I think she'll be getting a
coffee now, probably somewhere and.
And and she supports me a lot in my ministry.
She helps me, she encourages me when I'm down.
But. When I first started this
YouTube. Channel Off the Curb ministries.
She used to tell. Me, Joel, this is.
Just a waste of time. You need to stop doing.
It this is just a little hobby stop.
Putting so much time. Into it, basically.
It'll never amount into anything.
My own mother. I love my mother to.
Pieces as well. But she would say, oh, Joseph,
you know, the Internet, it's a it's a dangerous place, you
know, And she'd. She'd say all of these different
things. And you know, at that point I'd
been. Invited by about 3:00 or 4
churches to. Become a pastor.
And she was. Saying.
Why wouldn't you consider that, Joe?
Why wouldn't you consider being a pastor?
Is that not what? The Lord is calling you to do
and then even friends and family members you know, friends used.
To sort of. Think it was a little bit
indulgent what I was doing or you know, I remember one friend
in particular. Basically.
Said. He wanted me to.
Stop, he said. Stop it.
Just stop doing this you. Really shouldn't be doing this,
just focus. On your street preaching.
But at the time I did. This when I started my YouTube
channel back in 2015. It wasn't.
The, the, the, what's the word? The landscape.
Was completely different. To what it is now.
There was barely. Any Christian Youtubers I can?
Think of maybe two that. Come to my mind.
Maybe 3 at? Most, actually.
And yeah, you know, I felt the Lord was leading me to.
Do this. I felt a real.
Desire to do this with my drama background and I you know I used
to have props in my videos I. Actually have a video that I was
going to film today but I didn't get time to with.
Where I I was able to use the gifts the Lord had given.
Me. And yet reach people with the
gospel. And I just felt so cold.
So. You know there.
Was an impulse. Inside of me a drive.
Inside of me I need. To do this.
And it wasn't. Because I saw.
All. These other people.
You know, a lot of people. Get into YouTube now.
Because they see all the numbers, they see the
monetization. No, I just believed.
No, this is what the Lord is calling me to do.
And at the time as well. You probably know as well.
I had bad knees and I thought, well, maybe one day I won't be
able to stand. Up in a a pulpit and preach.
Because my my legs. Will be so bad then.
I think it was a bit over worrying back then, but I
thought, you know, at least I could.