Welcome to this week's posting of the Weekend Sermon. It is great to be able to be with you today. I hope and pray that everyone is having a good week.
There are some important items that we need to pray about today. Last night, several people were killed on a lake near Branson, Missouri when a boat they were in went down in a storm. Please pray for those who are grieving at this time. Also, several people were injured when tornadoes hit some towns in Iowa. Please pray for the injured that they will recover, and pray that those who experienced damage will be able to get the help that they need.
This has been a hard week for me, and I need your prayers. I found out some terrible financial news this week, and it has really set me back. As of yet, I don't know what I am going to do. Please pray that I will be able to get more writing. I also need to find some other work. Please pray that I can find something that I can do with the respiratory problems that I have. Thank you for your prayers.
Let us remember to keep praying for peace in the troubled areas of the this world. Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Israel, Libya and South Sudan all need our prayers for peace.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in North Korea and China. Pray that many will come to know Jesus in these two nations.
I want to thank the Lord for keeping the World Cup safe. I also want to thank the Lord for keeping me safe from the storms last night. I feel so bad for those who experienced loss.
For the last several weeks, we've been examining who Jesus is. Today, we will continue by looking at the fact that Jesus is our friend.
I've run across some people who are opposed to referring to Jesus as one's friend. They feel that it is disrespectful. I really don't understand where these people are coming from because Jesus Himself calls those of us who follow Him his friends. If Jesus calls us friends, we can certainly call Him our friend. Let's look into what the Bible says about Jesus being our friend.
In John 15:13, Jesus says that He is laying down His life for His friends. That would include the disciples and those who would come to believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
In John 15:15, Jesus states that He is no longer calling us servants. He is calling us friends. Jesus said that a servant does not know what the master is doing. However, Jesus has made known His will and His way to those who follow Him.
Let's look at some characteristics that make up a good friend and see how these apply to a relationship with Jesus.
A good friend is someone who wants to be with you. They have time for you, and they want to be involved in your life. Jesus is always there for us. He said that He will never leave us, and He will never forsake us. Jesus said that He will be with us until the end of the age.
Jesus wants to be with us forever. Jesus said in John 14:2 that He has gone to prepare a place for us so that where He is, we can be there too. Those who put there faith and trust in Jesus will be Him forever.
A good friend helps us in our time of need. Jesus is always there to help us. We can call upon Him and ask Him to help us and aid us in the struggles that we are encountering in this life.
Another thing that a good friend does is tell us the truth. You wouldn't want a friend who just told you what you wanted to hear. Jesus confronts us with those things that keep our lives from being all that they should be. He speaks the truth in love to our hearts that we might grow closer to Him and make a greater impact for the kingdom of God within this world.
Jesus actually has proven Himself to be a greater friend than any earthly friend can be. Jesus left the glories of Heaven to take upon Himself the form of humanity. He lived a holy and sinless life so that we would have an example as to how to live in this world. Jesus then went to the cross to bear our sins in His body on the cross. He rose again for us so that the results of sin could be defeated. Death has no more reign over those who are in Christ Jesus.
Jesus also shows that He is our friend because He is always there to listen to us when we call upon Him in prayer. We can go to Him at any time and let Him know what we are going through. He always hears us when we call out to Him.
There is an old hymn called "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". This hymn says, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Who can find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share. Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer." This is one of my favorite hymns because it speaks of the way that Jesus is our friend.
You may have experienced the grace of great friendship in this life. I've written much about what a great friend I had in Toby. As great a friend as he has been to me, there is a friend who is greater. Jesus is the best friend that I've ever known. He has been my rock and my help through the many trials and tribulations that I have faced in this life. No matter what I've gone through, I have always felt the presence of Jesus with me. I know that He is the friend that will be with me now and into and through eternity. I look forward to seeing Jesus face to face one day and thank Him for choosing me to be His friend.
In this life, you will have people who claim to be your friend. Some of these people will betray you and treat you in a bad way. Jesus will never do this. He will never abandon you. He will never downgrade you. He will always be there to listen and to love you.
I hope that you know Jesus as your friend. He wants to be your friend. It is His desire that you call upon Him. Turn to Him in repentance and faith. Trust in Jesus as Lord and come to know that Jesus is your friend.
Next week, we will continue with our Who is Jesus series. On Monday, I will post the verses. On Wednesday, I will post chapter 3 of my book about Toby. May God bless you all. Amen.
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