1. INTRODUCTION. MOST OF US, IF NOT ALL OF US HAVE THOSE THAT WE VALUE AS FRIENDS. TRUE FRIENDSHIP SHOULD BE TREASURED AND CHERISHED BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES FRIENDSHIPS CAN BE FICKLE, FALSE, AND SHALLOW. GENUINE FRIENDSHIP IS NOT BASED ON WHAT A PERSON HAS OR DON’T HAVE. IT IS NOT BASED ON WHAT A PERSON CAN DO FOR YOU THAT MAKES THEM A FRIEND. AUTHENTIC FRIENDSHIPS ARE BASED ON THE COMMONALITY THAT WE HAVE WITH THOSE THAT WE CHOOSE AS FRIENDS, AND THE MOTIVATING FACTOR IN FRIENDSHIP IS LOVE. TRUE FRIENDSHIP DOES NOT MISUSE OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PERSON THAT IS CALLED FRIEND. I AM PAINFULLY AWARE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SO DESPERATE FOR FRIENDSHIP THAT THEY WILL CHOOSE THOSE THAT MEAN THEM NO GOOD. THEY ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE USED AND ABUSED BY OTHERS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE ACCEPTED. BUT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A FRIEND WHO WILL LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY; WHO WILL ACCEPT YOU JUST AS YOU ARE; WHO WILL STAND BY YOU IN GOOD AND BAD TIMES; WHO WILL HEAR YOU WHEN YOU PRAY; WHO WILL KEEP YOU FROM FALLING; WHO WILL LOOK BEYOND YOUR FAULTS AND MEET YOUR NEEDS; WHO IS ABLE TO DRY TEARS FROM OUR EYES; I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER JESUS, BECAUSE HE’S THAT KIND OF FRIEND.
2. THE TEXT. JESUS WAS HAVING A DISCOURSE WITH HIS DISCIPLES AND HE HAS SHARED MANY THINGS WITH THEM DURING HIS DISCOURSE.
a) HE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CONNECTED WITH HIM, BECAUSE EVERY BRANCH THAT DOES NOT BRING FORTH FRUIT IS TAKEN AWAY.
b) AND THAT EVERY BRANCH THAT BEARS FRUIT IS PURGED THAT IT WILL BRING FORTH MORE FRUIT.
c) HE TALKED ABOUT THEM ABIDING IN HIM BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM THEY COULD DO NOTHING.
d) HE INFORMED THEM THAT THE WAY TO HAVE THEIR PRAYERS ANSWERED, WAS TO REMAIN CONNECTED TO HIM.
e) IN VERSE 13 HE LETS THEM KNOW THAT THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE THAN A MAN WHO WILL LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.
f) JESUS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT A FRIEND SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
g) THERE ARE MANY WHO PROFESS THAT THEY ARE FRIENDS WITH JESUS, BUT THEY DON’T LIVE FOR HIM.
h) JESUS SAYS IN MATT. 15:7-8, “YE HYPOCRITES, WELL DID ESAIAS PROPHESY OF YOU, SAYING, THIS PEOPLE DRAWETH NIGH UNTO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOURETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS; BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.”
i) THEN, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE SINCERELY FRIENDS WITH JESUS WHICH IS EVIDENCED BY THE LIVES THAT THEY LEAD.
j) JESUS’ FRIENDSHIP IS BASED ON UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!
3. FRIENDSHIP IS NOT ONE SIDED, BUT IT IS MUTUAL; IN OTHER WORDS, ONE IS NOT ALWAYS GIVING AND THE OTHER IS ALWAYS TAKING!
a) FRIENDSHIPS MUST BE TESTED TO DETERMINE THEIR VALUE.
b) AS A CHILD OF GOD, OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH HIM WILL BE TESTED BY OUR OBEDIENT LIVING FOR HIM.
c) IT WILL BE TESTED BY LIVING FAITHFULLY IN AN UNFAITHFUL WORLD!
d) FRIENDSHIP MUST BE WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES. JESUS SAYS THAT “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS,”!
e) THE QUESTION THAT I WANT TO PUT FORTH TO YOU IS, “WHAT SACRIFICES ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE FOR JESUS?”
f) REAL FRIENDSHIP WILL NOT ALWAYS TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR, THAT YOU MIGHT GAIN STRENGTH, AND SEE THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE.
g) A REAL FRIEND WILL CELEBRATE WITH YOU, CRY WITH YOU, STAND UP FOR YOU, LIFT YOU UP AND NOT TEAR YOU DOWN!
h) I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, “I’M WITH YOU AS LONG AS YOU ARE RIGHT.” BUT, LET ME TELL YOU THAT I NEED YOU TO BE WITH ME WHEN I’M WRONG AS WELL.
i) THAT’S WHAT JESUS DOES. HE DOES NOT ABANDON US WHEN WE MESS UP.
j) YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE HE’S THAT KIND OF FRIEND!
4. THE DIFFERENCE IN BEING FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE AND BEING ACQUAINTED WITH SOMEONE. AN ACQUAINTANCE IS SOMEONE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO, BUT YOU DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
a) FRIENDSHIP IS ESTABLISHED BY RELATIONSHIP.
b) THERE ARE THINGS THAT I WILL DO MORE A FRIEND THAN I WILL DO FOR SOMEONE WHO IS JUST AN ACQUAINTANCE.
c) SAD BUT TRUE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THAT THERE ARE MANY WHO’S FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS IS CLOAKED AS JUST BEING ACQUAINTED WITH HIM.
d) MATT. 7:22-23, “MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS? AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.”
e) AN ACQUAINTANCE WILL NOT HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART.
f) BUT A TRUE FRIEND WILL ALWAYS WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU.
g) THAT’S JESUS AND HE’S THAT KIND OF FRIEND.
h) I’M TRYING TO HELP SOMEONE THAT IS STRUGGLING WITH FRIENDSHIP PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS SPIRITUALLY.
i) IT PAYS TO HAVE JESUS AS A FRIEND BECAUSE HE’S THE PERFECT FRIEND.
j) MAN-MADE FRIENDSHIPS CAN BE DISAPPOINTING AT TIMES, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER DISAPPOINT YOU.
k) WHY? BECAUSE HE’S THAT KIND OF FRIEND!
l) JESUS HAS A LOT TO OFFER HIS FRIENDS; THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO WE HAVE TO OFFER HIM?
m) I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT FOR ME, JESUS IS MORE THAN JUST AN ACQUAINTANCE!
5. THREE POINTS/CONCLUSION. THERE ARE ADVANTAGES TO HAVING JESUS AS A FRIEND
a) ONE, BEING FRIENDS WITH JESUS WILL MAKE US ACCEPTABLE TO GOD ALTHOUGH WE WILL BE REJECTED BY THE WORLD. JOHN 15:19, “ IF YE WERE OF THE WORLD, THE WORLD WOULD LOVE HIS OWN: BUT BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, THEREFORE THE WORLD HATETH YOU.”
b) TWO, BEING FRIENDS WITH JESUS IS PIVOTAL TO HAVING OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED, JOHN 15:16, “THAT WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK OF THE FATHER IN MY NAME, HE MAY GIVE IT YOU.” AS LONG AS IT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS WILL!
c) THREE, BEING FRIENDS WITH JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN, JOHN 14:6, “JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.”
d) A FRIEND OF JESUS NEVER HAS TO WORRY IF…
• HE WILL LEAD IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BECAUSE HE WILL
• HE WILL GIVE STRENGTH IN TIMES OF WEAKNESS/HE WILL
• HE WILL HEAR AND ANSWER PRAYER BECAUSE HE WILL
• HE WILL BEAR BURDENS BECAUSE HE WILL
• HE WILL BLESS BEYOND MEASURE BECAUSE HE WILL
• HE GENUINELY LOVES YOU BECAUSE HE DOES
• HE WILL COMFORT IN TIMES OF LONELINESS BECAUSE HE WILL
• HE WILL FIGHT YOUR BATTLES BECAUSE HE WILL
• HE’S A FRIEND THAT NEVER…
• FORSAKES
• LEADS ASTRAY
• MISJUDGES
• HOLDS GRUDGES
• GOSSIPS
• LIES
• DOES WRONG
• CRITICIZES
• PROCRASTINATES
• HE’S A LOVING AND FAITHFUL FRIEND THAT WILL…
• IF HE’S FOR YOU, HE’S MORE THAN THE WHOLE WORLD AGAINST YOU
• TURN ENEMIES INTO FOOTSTOOLS
• TURN ADVERSARIES INTO ALLIES
• MAKE LONELY NIGHTS BEARABLE
• MAKE TROUBLED DAYS ENDURABLE
• MAKE HIGH MOUNTAINS CLIMBABLE
• MAKE DEEP VALLEY’S CROSSABLE
• MAKE THE STING OF DEATH CONQUERABLE
• HE’S THE ONLY FRIEND THAT GIVES ETERNAL LIFE
