If I Only Had A Friend

I. Scripture Text Luke10:25-37 (Amplified)

25:And then a certain lawyer arose to test Him saying, “Teacher, what am I to do to inherit everlasting life?

26: Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”

27: And he replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

28: And Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

29: And he, determined to acquit himself of reproach, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30: Jesus replied, “A certain man was going from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings and beat him and went their way, leaving him half dead, as it happened.

31: Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down along that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32: A Levite likewise came down to the place and saw him, and passed by on the other side of the road.

33: But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled along, came down to where he was; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity and sympathy {for him},

34: And went to him, and dressed his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine. Then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

35: And the next day he took out two denari {two day’s wages} and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I {myself} will repay you when I return.

36: Which of these do you think proved himself a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”

37: The lawyer answered, “The one who showed pity and mercy to him”, And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

I want to speak this afternoon along the lines of this very simple thought, “If I Only Had A Friend”.

II. If you’ve ever done any sort of counseling or spoken with anyone who has, there is one common element that most all counselors will hear from nearly everyone who comes through their doors.

“If only I had someone that I could talk to”.

“If only I had someone that I could depend on and trust.”

“I don’t have any REAL friends.”

“There’s no one that I can depend on and really trust in.”

“I’ve been burned by people and I’ve been hurt so very deeply and I just don’t trust anyone.”

“I’m so full of pain and hurt and I have all of this bad going on inside of me and if I only had someone that I could talk to and empty all of this pain into and allow them to pour something good on the inside of me.”

“If I Only Had A Friend.”

Folks, America needs someone to talk to.

They don’t care what it’s about, it doesn’t matter what your beliefs are, they just want someone who’ll listen and who’ll care.

The internet has become a place where people are spending their quality time, in an effort to fill this longing for a friend.

People are going into chat rooms and there they can pour their hearts out, anonymously and they can fantasize that someone is on the other side listening and caring.

People call chat lines and pay upwards of $5.00 per minute to talk to some stranger on the other end of the line and pour themselves out.

People are turning to psychics and spiritualists for help and direction, because they need real answers.

They’re hurting and wounded and they need somebody to love them.

The World, along with many Christians, are crying out for someone to talk to.

III. There are 4 very important things in an individual’s life.

1} Physical Needs – Food, Clothing, Shelter, etc.

2} Emotional Needs – To love and Be loved.

3} Social Needs – Job, livelihood, Provision.

4} Self Worth

You may be able to survive without some of the first 3 of these 4, but you will NOT survive very long, without some level of self-worth!

You will die lonely, depressed and confused, unless you realize that you are worth something and allow something of good to be placed in your heart.

Suicide rates are soaring around the world, because people feel like they are worthless and there is just nothing to live for.

IV. Reverend Robert Schuler built the massive Crystal Cathedral out in California.

He went there and he rented an old vacant theatre and he has now touched millions of lives around the world through that ministry.