Friend Of God

Friend Of God

John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Hushai

? The latter half of I Chronicles chapter 27, details the names and roles of those that played an important part in David’s kingdom.

? Hidden within that list in the 33rd verse is a very special notation.

? While others are named as counselors and scribes and leaders.

? We are told in this passage that Hushai the Archite was the Kings companion.

? 2 Samual 15:37 further clarifies this role referring to Hushai as David’s friend.

? Hushai was more than just a servant in David’s court, he was more than just an advisor, he was the kings friend.

? And when David’s other, most trusted advisors defected to join the rebelling Absolom,

? Hushai, David’s friend, remained loyal to the king.

? According to David’s instructions, Hushai pretended to be loyal to Absolom and slipped information to David about Absolom’s plans.

? When David’s rebellious advisors urged Absolom to attack David while his forces were in disarray, Hushai prevailed and convinced Absolom to hesitate long enough that David was able to gather his forces and dispel the attack.

? Hushai was the King’s Friend.

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In our text, Jesus draws a distinction between being a servant of God and being a friend of God.

? Note the distinction.

? It’s not the privilege of the servant to understand his master’s business.

? He just does what he is told.

? No questions. No reasons. Just “Very good, sir. If you say so, sir.”

? Jesus made it plain that he wasn’t looking for mind-numbed robots to follow him around.

? He was looking for someone he could elevate to the level of friend.

? God is looking for someone that will do more than just serve him out of obligation, he’s looking for someone that will develop a relationship with him.

? I truly believe that there is a call going out to the body of Christ urging us all to draw closer to him.

? I believe that as the end of time unfolds, God is looking for friends that he can confide in, more than servants that simply serve him.

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The problem is that it’s easier to be a servant.

? Servants are reactionary, they are reactive.

? They live their lives responding to the circumstances around them.

? Their course and direction is always set by some outside force that exerts influence over them.

? Like a pinball bpuncing around in the arcade, they have no perspective of the biggfer picture, they are propelled from one event to another by external forces.

? The distinction between a servant and a friend, according to Jesus, is that the servant doesn’t know what his master is planning.

? He’s just a small cog in the big picture that does what he is told.

? Some of us like it that way, we don’t have to take responsibility for our lives.

? We can blame it all on God.

? It’s easy to be a servant.

? It’s easy to be constantly influenced by the circumstances of life.

? Bouncing from one event to the next, haphazardly journeying through this life in the general direction of heaven.

But God is calling us to a different level.

? From henceforth, Jesus said, I call you not servants, I call you friends.

? As much as the role of a servant is menial and mechanical

? There is a high ministry of friendship with God, and it’s a ministry that any child of God can fulfill.

? The renowned revivalist and prayer warrior, Verbal Bean used this anology:

? When you are a passenger in an airplane, you have very little knowledge of the specifics of the flight, you are mainly just along for the ride.

? You know when it takes off and you know when it lands and beyond that you trust the unseen hand that navigates it from here to there.

? He goes on to talk about an opportunity in his life, where the pilot invited him into the cockpit.

? The pilot showed him how everything worked, even let him handle the controls for a moment.

? All of a sudden, he said, I was no longer just a passenger, I was an active participant.

? I was helping guide the ship.

? He concluded with the belief that it is the sincere desire of God to elevate his people from the role of passenger to the role of participant.

? I have felt in my spirit for several days now that it is God is calling all of us to a closer walk with him.