(What A Friend We Have In Jesus)

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV)

24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

(WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS)

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

IN THIS WORLD YOU CAN FIND ALL KINDS OF FRIENDSHIPS

THERE IS A FAKE FRIENDSHIP--

WHERE FOLKS WHO SAY THEY ARE YOUR FRIENDS WILL FAKE YOU OUT WHEN YOU NEED THEM THE MOST

THEN THEIRS A FAIR WEATHER FRIENDSHIP -

IT`S A FRIENDSHIP THAT LAST AS LONG AS THE SUN IS SHINING

AND THEN THERES A GET OVER AND UNDER FRIENDSHIP -

WHERE FOLKS WILL BE YOUR FRIEND AS LONG AS YOU ARE GIVING

AND ALL THE WHILE TRYING TO SWEEP YOUR FEETS RIGHT OUT FROM UNDER YOU

AND ALL OF THESE FRIENDSHIPS I JUST NAME ARE WORDLY FRIENDSHIPS

AND THE LIST COULD GO ON AND ON

BUT IN THE TEXT BEFORE US SOLOMON THE PREACHER TALKS ABOUT GUNUINE FRIENDSHIP

AND HE LOOKS AHEAD THROUGH THE WINDOW OF TIME --AND TELLS US ABOUT A FRIEND WHO WILL STICK CLOSER THAN A BROTHER

AND SOLOMON REVEALS TO US THAT

FRIENDSHIP IS A COVENTAL BINDING TOGETHER OF TWO PEOPLE

BECAUSE TRUE FRIENDSHIP IS 1 SOUL IN 2 BODIES AND IN ORDER TO HAVE A FRIEND WE MUST FRIST BE A FRIEND

IS IT ALRIGHT IF I BORROW A SKINNY MINUTE AND BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU

BECAUSE TRUE FRIENDSHIP IS ALWAYS PRECEDED BY SELFGIVING

YOU SEE THE FRIST FRIEND IN THE BIBLE WAS GOD HIMSELF

AND THE FRIST GIFT OF THE FRIST FRIEND WAS ANOTHER FRIEND

BECAUSE IN THE BOOK OF GENEIS 2ND CHAPTER -VERSE 18

TELL US THAT IT WAS GOD WHO DETERMINED FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IT WAS NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE

AND GOD CREATED WOMAN OUT OF MAN--AND MADE HER A FRIEND OF MAN

THAT’S WHY TRUE FRIENDSHIP IS BASE ON AGAPE LOVE

BECAUSE IT IS THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS SHED ABROAD IN ALL BELIEVERS HEART

THAT WHY A TRUE FRIEND IS A SOURCE OF SUNSHINE WHEN YOU ARE UNDER THE WEATHER

A TRUE FRIEND IS ONE THAT BELIEVES IN YOU WHEN YOU FAIL TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

TRUE FRIENDSHIP THRIVES OFF OF SACRIFICES

BECAUSE WE ALL CAN GIVE WITHOUT LOVE---

BUT WE CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT GIVING

YOU SEE A TRUE FRIEND

REACHES FOR YOUR HAND BUT TOUCHES YOUR HEART

A TRUE FRIEND WILL CRY WITH YOU WHILE OTHERS ARE LAUGHING AT YOU

A TRUE FRIEND WILL SHAKE YOUR HAND IN SUCCESS AND WILL WASH YOUR FEET IN SORROW

EVEN HELLEN KELLER SAID

WALKING IN THE DARK WITH A TRUE FRIEND

IS BETTER THAN WALKING IN THE LIGHT ALONE

*********************************

BUT NOT ONLY DOES SOLOMON THE PREACHER TEACHES US ABOUT THE HIGHEST MEASURE OF HUMAN FRIENDSHIP

BUT HE ALSO TEACHES US ABOUT A FRIEND WHO WILL STICK CLOSER THAN A BROTHER

SOLOMON REVEALS TO US THAT FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS IS THE PATH TO REAL JOY

YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

A FRIEND CAN CRY WITH YOU --BUT JESUS CAN WIPE ALL OF YOUR TEARS AWAY

A FRIEND CAN SHARE YOUR STORMS WITH YOU ----BUT JESUS CAN CALM YOUR STORMS

A FRIEND MAY BE THERE WITH YOU IN A TIME OF TROUBLE -----

BUT JESUS IS A PRESENT HELP IN A TIME OF TROUBLE

I`M REMINDED OF A BIBICAL ACCOUNT THAT IS FOUND IN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN THE 11THCHAPTER

MARY AND MARTHA HAD A BROTHER WHO STOOD BY THEM

YOU SEE MARY WAS A WORSHIPER AND MARTHA WAS A SERVANT AND LAZARUS WAS THERE BROTHER WHOM JESUS LOVED

BUT ONE DAY SICKNESS AND DEATH INVADED THERE HOME AND SEVERED THERE RELATIONSHIP WITH THERE BROTHER

BUT THANK GOD THEY KNEW A FRIEND THAT STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER

IT WAS JESUS A TRUE FRIEND THAT BROUGHT LAZARUS BACK TO LIFE

AN AS I GO TO ME SEAT I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THESE WORDS WITH YOU

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS -

ALL OUR SINS AND GRIEF TO BEAR --

WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO CARRY

EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER

I GOT A FRIEND WHO IS A BURDEN BEARER

A HEAVY LOAD CARRIER

A HEART FIXER

AND A MIND REGULATOR

HE SITS HIGH BUT LOOKS LOW

LOOKS BEYOND OUR FAULTS AND SUPPLY ALL OF OUR NEEDS

DO YOU KNOW ---HAVE YOU MET HIM ---HAVE YOU TRIED HIM

IN OTHER WORDS

DO YOU KNOW HIM AS AWAY OUT OF NO WAY

A LIGHT IN A DARK SITUATION

A BRIDGE THAT LEANS OVER TROUBLED WATER

A WHEEL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WHEEL

THE ONE WHO DIED FOR YOUR SINS AND MINE

PLACE IN A BORROWED TOMB

BUT EARLY ----- EARLY----- OH I SAY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING

HE GOT UP ----HE GOT -----AND IF YOU BELIEVE HE GOT UP YOU OUGHT TO STAND UP AND GIVE GOD SOME PRAISE

BECAUSE HE GOT UP WITH ALL POWER -----ALL POWER