1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,600 Who is this? A Wisdom Bible church, the 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:12,960 Church of a distant Christian, the Jesus Discipleship model of 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:18,600 friendship and a text of Scripture to drive the teaching 4 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:26,840 can be found in Gospel according to Saint John chapter 15, verse 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:33,760 15 in consequence study. As we push the study forward, 6 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:39,600 we're going to read more verses of the same chapter of the 7 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:44,160 Scripture. But for today, let's start with 8 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:49,760 verse 15 of the chapter 15 of Gospel account to Saint John. 9 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,160 Henceforth I call you not servants. 10 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,600 Here is the Lord Jesus Christ addressing His disciples. 11 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:07,040 The connotation of this is that before now there is a level at 12 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,360 which they were operating with Him. 13 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,880 There's a level of confidence He has in them. 14 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:23,160 Now they have passed some tests and is concluded that they are 15 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:30,080 due for graduation to the next and better level of 16 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,120 interpersonal relationship, he said. 17 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:40,440 Henceforth witness either to there was a level that they 18 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:45,200 were, but now they are translating, they are graduating 19 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:50,160 to a higher level. I pray that in your world with 20 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:55,120 Christ, you will become more intimate with Him in the name of 21 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,480 Jesus Christ, he said. For the servant knoweth not what 22 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:07,200 is Lord doing to. If they remain at the level they 23 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,840 were before, there are certain mysteries they will never be 24 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:19,600 privileged to, because at the level of a servant to the master 25 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:25,160 there are certain things that will never be disclosed to the 26 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,320 servants, because the servants will forever operate at the 27 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:34,480 level of an hourly. Praise the Lord, he said. 28 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:41,000 But I have called you now friends, for all things that I 29 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,160 have heard of my father, I have made known unto you. 30 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:51,640 So with me, they have had privilege to some level of 31 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:56,120 mystery and secret. He has confided in them and they 32 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:01,000 did not betray the confidence. And because they didn't betray 33 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,160 that confidence, he no longer call them servants, but he now 34 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:13,320 call them words friends. So looking at the concepts of 35 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:20,000 friendship, that's a natural way to consider it, But in this 36 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:30,240 place, our Lord Jesus Christ in the Scripture just read to us is 37 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:39,680 initiating or pointing our attention to a more radical 38 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:48,360 approach, a more radical understanding of the concept of 39 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,280 friendship. So the model that our Lord Jesus 40 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,960 Christ initiated in this Scripture cited Abu, is too 41 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:08,400 radical for a capitalist society where a servant will be 42 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,480 considered to be at par, at friendship level with the 43 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,440 master. That is too radical for a 44 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:23,000 capitalist society because in the capital city society it is 45 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,840 believed that all animals are not equal. 46 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,520 And even when we pretend that they are equal, we will still 47 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:36,920 turn around and say but some are more equal than others. 48 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:48,600 But Jesus Christ, with this model, is pointing us to a much 49 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:57,280 more radical understanding of what friendship should be. 50 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,800 So in virtually all matters pertaining to human relation, 51 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,800 there is always the people's worldview, and there is also the 52 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,480 Jesus worldview. So what we are considering today 53 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,400 is the Jesus worldview to friendship. 54 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,920 And so the case we are dealing with today is to just a focus 55 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,800 between the natural concept of friendship and the Jesus 56 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,840 discipleship model of friendship. 57 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,200 What is the natural concept of friendship? 58 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,160 The natural concept of friendship is horizontal in 59 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:52,280 nature, and at that level friendship at that palace can 60 00:05:52,280 --> 00:05:57,000 only take place between people of common social pedigree. 61 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:03,960 You will agree with me that the distance between Jesus from all 62 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,920 angle and the disciple is just too wide for anybody to cover. 63 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,880 Who can be equal to Jesus in any respect. 64 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:23,360 Now Jesus is now saying those that he had out very far in all 65 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:28,480 part Tommy Bumbayo, he said to them, come, I call to you, we 66 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,560 are friends, praise the name of the Lord. 67 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,480 So when it comes to the natural concept, the human world view of 68 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:43,440 friendship, it is always horizontal in nature, where only 69 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:47,720 people of common social pedigree can be called friends. 70 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:54,600 But from the model that Jesus is espousing to us in this 71 00:06:54,600 --> 00:07:00,160 Scripture, and he has also practice, we can observe a great 72 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:06,240 concept that broaden the scope of friendship as a relationship 73 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,680 that can transcend peer group brackets. 74 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:19,080 Now if you are in the company of people in your age bracket, OK, 75 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,240 you say my friend, nobody will raise eyebrow. 76 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:32,080 But if you say to somebody of your father's age bracket, I say 77 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,760 Salaam my friend, people will want to ask. 78 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:41,840 Hope you don't require examination in your brain. 79 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,160 Press the name of the law, particularly in this part of the 80 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:59,400 world. So from what Jesus was saying in 81 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:04,800 Gospel to Saint John chapter 15 verse 15, he was actually 82 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:10,920 broadening or expanding the scope of friendship beyond peer 83 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:17,640 group brackets. It was spanning the scope beyond 84 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:25,400 social gradient brackets. In other words, the discipleship 85 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:32,240 model that was practiced by the Lord Jesus Christ reveals to us 86 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:38,480 a friendship model that is wider than what can be caged inside 87 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:45,520 social gradients brackets in in the cage called social gradient 88 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,920 bracket. Only the poor can be a friend to 89 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:56,320 the poor. Hello, and only the rich will be 90 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,360 a friend to the rich. If I it is commonly said among 91 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,520 my people who play loneliness or Lulu, utu Shilos or utu C. 92 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,920 But Jesus is saying in his own community of faith, it is not 93 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:12,640 so. Am I talking to somebody? 94 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:22,120 It's not so in the Christian community of faiths where the 95 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:28,800 Lord Jesus Christ owns the ideology that drives the system. 96 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:35,280 It's not a place where a pastor cannot have friends outside the 97 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,520 cleric cycle. So it's an expansion of the 98 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:47,440 scope of friendship beyond social gradient brackets, but in 99 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:52,920 the narrow natural order. Friendship will be ordinary, 100 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:58,720 limited to interpersonal relationship between a specified 101 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:05,120 age good bracket. But in the Jesus discipleship 102 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:13,640 model of friendship, a son can rise by proper behavior to the 103 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,720 level of becoming a friend to his father. 104 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:25,200 A daughter can rise by proper behavior to the level of 105 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,840 becoming a friend to his father, a friend to his mother. 106 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:34,920 Ditto for his son rising by proper behavior to the level of 107 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:43,320 becoming a friend to his mother. And when this happened, OK, it 108 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:48,320 will be without element of insolence or contents in any 109 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:54,760 form. So you can become so close 110 00:10:54,760 --> 00:11:00,080 knitted to your father and your father will respect you to bring 111 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,320 you to the level of friendship companionship. 112 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,320 Yet you will not lose your respect for your Father. 113 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:12,480 Am I talking to somebody? When does yourself to disciple? 114 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:17,120 As for I no longer regard you as servant, but I call you my 115 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,360 friend. There was not any place where 116 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,880 this disciple now take things, take I mean to Jesus for 117 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:29,600 granted. The respect was still retained. 118 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,160 Are we together? They still regarded him as the 119 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:44,640 Lord. So in this model espoused by 120 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:49,120 Jesus Christ, a servant can become a confidant. 121 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:57,600 You know, he mentioned that either at all at the level of a 122 00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:02,400 servant, A servant does not know what his master is doing. 123 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:06,920 A servant cannot be trusted with information and the information 124 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,760 will be saved. But in Jesus model, a servant 125 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:17,720 can become a confidence that can be trusted with the destiny of 126 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:24,200 the son, as can be seen in the story of Abraham and his most 127 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,480 senior servant. Let's examine Genesis chapter 128 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:31,760 24. I read the force 6 verses 129 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:42,840 Genesis 24 And Abraham was old and well striking in age. 130 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:48,960 And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 131 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:56,560 And Abraham said unto his headest servant of his house, 132 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:06,080 not the headest son of his house, not his biological son in 133 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:13,280 any way, but his servant in the house, the rule over all that he 134 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:17,360 had tell somebody develop proper behaviour. 135 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:27,160 So this servant by proper behaviour OK, rose to the level 136 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:31,360 whereby he was not being treated as his servant. 137 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,520 It was been given the responsibility of a hair 138 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:46,120 apparent Are we Together You can rise to the same level under the 139 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:52,800 tutilage of your employer. You can rise to the same level 140 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:59,800 in any system if you will be mature enough to develop proper 141 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:05,760 behavior. So by proper behaviour, people 142 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:11,920 in his lifetime, Abraham entrusted all that he had to his 143 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:21,310 servants. Put, I pray thee, thy hand under 144 00:14:21,310 --> 00:14:26,670 my time, and I will make this way out by the Lord, by the Lord 145 00:14:26,670 --> 00:14:31,040 the God of heaven and the God of the Head, that thou shall not 146 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,800 take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanite among 147 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,920 whom I dwell. But thou shall go unto my 148 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:45,680 country and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 149 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:52,120 So the destiny of even the promised child was being 150 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:59,760 entrusted onto a responsible Sabbath that has grew and 151 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:05,000 developed by proper behaviour to the level of being treated as a 152 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:10,000 confidence, being trusted with convenient information. 153 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:19,360 And the service said unto him, adventure, the woman will not be 154 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,160 willing to follow me onto this land. 155 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:27,280 In other words, As for me, I will act accordingly. 156 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:37,320 I will not betray the trust. However, how do I handle a 157 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:44,200 negative situation that may hinder me from carrying out your 158 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,320 wish? Accordingly, how do I agree? 159 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:54,400 You see, you see, freedom of of communication is not a yes. 160 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:58,280 Where you know that this assignment, I will not be able 161 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,920 to carry it out. You will say, master, let's 162 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,080 trust it together. What if I come across this 163 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,200 complication? What do we do about it? 164 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:16,840 What other option do I ask? Must I need bring thy son again, 165 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,720 or to the land from where thou chemist? 166 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:26,280 And Abraham said unto him, Beware that thou bring not my 167 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,720 son either again. And if you read the story, you 168 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:37,920 will discover that is so much perform the task and carry out 169 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:45,480 the task to detail and fulfill the wish of Father Abraham. 170 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:50,920 Praise the name of the Lord now. So in the in the Jesus 171 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,800 discipleship model of friendship, his son, like I 172 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:01,560 said, can rise by proper behavior to the status of a 173 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:06,240 friend to his father. His servant can rise by proper 174 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:11,560 behavior to the status of a friend to his master. 175 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:19,359 And when we are considering the issue of this senior servants in 176 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:23,880 the household of Abraham, we should also not forget that Lord 177 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:30,200 was once in the equation of the family of Abraham and Lord was 178 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:36,920 connected to Abraham by blood. Hello. 179 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:45,320 This servant was only connected to Abraham by service, yet a 180 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:50,920 role that somebody like Lord should play in the life of the 181 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,800 son of Abraham. It was a servant that was 182 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,240 playing that role. Am I talking to somebody? 183 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:07,640 I pray in the name of Jesus in your family circle, the role you 184 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,760 should play as a responsible uncle. 185 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:11,880 A stranger will not take it over. 186 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:25,160 Proper behavior, maturity, sense of responsibility. 187 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:31,040 If it is not there, forget about being a friend to anybody that 188 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:37,200 is similar to you. Friendship to senior citizen 189 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:43,080 doesn't come cheaply. Are we together? 190 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:50,480 Friendship to island place people that can be of help to 191 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:55,520 your destiny doesn't come cheap. It come by developing proper 192 00:18:55,520 --> 00:19:00,600 behavior, a high level sense of responsibility. 193 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:10,160 Lot though connected to Abraham by blood, he missed out and the 194 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:13,880 role he was supposed to be playing as the big uncle in the 195 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,720 family. It was a senior servant. 196 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,720 He was also supposed to be an ordinary servant, OK, but he has 197 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:25,240 to be called a senior servant because he has demonstrated a 198 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,120 high level of what responsibility he can be 199 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:31,080 trusted. And then Abraham now do him. 200 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,800 He had to himself. He became a confidant and 201 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:39,040 Abraham entrusted everything to him while Lord was struggling to 202 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:43,120 have his own OK. Everything that belonged to 203 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,880 Abraham was entrusted to his servant. 204 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,920 If Lord has stayed in his proper position, he will have his own 205 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,440 and he will still be the manager of Abraham estate. 206 00:19:55,120 --> 00:20:01,160 Am I talking to somebody? All these ally struggle to have 207 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,480 his own. OK then which he eventually 208 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:05,680 lost. You know he eventually lost 209 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:06,800 everything as Sodom and Gomorrah. 210 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,480 But if he has stayed in the in his proper position. 211 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,560 Whereby he can rise to the level of becoming a confidant to 212 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,760 Abraham. He will have his own. 213 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:29,480 And yet, OK, all that Abraham had in his estate, including 214 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,480 Isaac, was not been entrusted to him. 215 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,880 The weight was entrusted to his servant. 216 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:43,080 So we should not forget that Lord was once in the question of 217 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,480 the family of Abraham, and ordinarily it should be in the 218 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:48,280 best position to undertake the task. 219 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:54,240 But friendship is not attained by just bloodline relationship, 220 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,320 it is attained by tested stable character. 221 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:04,480 Friendship is not just attained by bloodline relationship, 222 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:10,720 friendship is attained by tested stable character. 223 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:21,080 That senior servant was first tested with the material things, 224 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:27,000 the words, the resources, the material resources of the estate 225 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:31,200 of Father Abraham. He passed the test and therefore 226 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,800 Father Abraham can now go on from there to entrust even the 227 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,960 destiny of his promised child Isaac unto him. 228 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:47,280 And he managed the two properly. You mean our God himself? 229 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:54,440 Do you know that God is not only a father, he's also a friend to 230 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:58,840 those who merit it? Hello. 231 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,760 I keep on emphasizing again and again that when it comes to 232 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:09,200 interpersonal relationship, friendship is the highest level. 233 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,680 Pressing words is the highest level. 234 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:19,720 So even God himself, yes, our Heavenly Father is not only 235 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:23,960 interested in being our Father, he's much more interested in we 236 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:29,680 becoming his friend, becoming his confidence, becoming people 237 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,360 that he can trust with mysteries, becoming people that 238 00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:35,960 he can trust with destinies of men. 239 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:42,600 And we will not mess up. So this concept that we are 240 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:50,320 looking at today, where you scrutinize the Scriptures was 241 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:55,880 foreseen in relationship between God and Abraham, Genesis 18. 242 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:05,040 So whatever you see Abraham doing to that senior servant was 243 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,920 what he first enjoyed in his relationship with God. 244 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,440 Am I talking to somebody? Genesis 18. 245 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:20,480 Let's read about 3 or 4 verses from verse 16. 246 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:28,720 And the men rose up from France and look towards Sodom, and 247 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,800 Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 248 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,360 These were the three men that visited Abraham. 249 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:46,880 We are the promise of his son was again emphasized the 250 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,560 covenant the promise of the covenant child Isaac was again 251 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,560 emphasized. You knew all that happened where 252 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:58,120 Sarah laughs and the Angel felt no, why should he laugh OK and 253 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:02,840 she told the lie all that so after this men were now on their 254 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,360 way going. Abraham went with them. 255 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:13,200 Then verse 17 and the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham? 256 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:21,280 Remember what Jesus said in first I mean in the Gospel go to 257 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:25,480 Saint John 1515 henceforth I no longer call you Sabbath, because 258 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,040 the Sabbath does not know what is master doing. 259 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:34,680 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I 260 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:41,320 do, saying that Abrams has surely become a great and mighty 261 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:45,280 nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in 262 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:55,560 him, for I know him. Now what we know about you, can 263 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,040 it give us the confidence to trust you? 264 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:05,120 Therefore, I do what I know him that he will command his 265 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,960 children and his household after him and they shall keep the way 266 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:10,960 of the law to do justice and judgment. 267 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,840 That is not the bring upon Abraham that which he had spoken 268 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,280 of him. See what happened here why God 269 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:21,440 had that level of confidence in Abraham. 270 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:26,520 We didn't know it on the we start to read about the light 271 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,600 that God gave some prophets about that relationship and that 272 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:34,720 level of relationship was eventually this described by 273 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:38,480 prophet Isaiah as friendship level of relationship. 274 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:47,600 Isaiah 41 eight. But thou instray at my servant 275 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:56,480 Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friends. 276 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:02,720 Hello. How I wish that Jacob will also 277 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:07,880 be able to rise to that level. Praise the name of the Lord. 278 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,880 So there is always the servant level, and there's always the 279 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:16,680 friendship level. Not all servants of God are 280 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:22,920 friends of God. Hello. 281 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:28,960 Not all servants of God are friends to God, he said, But 282 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:35,640 thou Israel at my servant Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of 283 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:40,200 Abraham, my friend. So whatever they are enjoying as 284 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:46,280 covenant benefit is on the credit of Abraham, who was the 285 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:55,960 friend of God. I pray in the name of Jesus that 286 00:26:56,360 --> 00:27:05,480 all that the patriarchs of faith has acquired and credited to our 287 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:10,280 own account, we will not waste them in the name of Jesus. 288 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:16,560 Israel almost wasted it all because they stayed perpetually 289 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:23,920 at that level of servants. So the reason God could say 290 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,160 concerning Abraham that I will not hide anything from him, 291 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,160 shall I do this thing and hide it from Abraham was because 292 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:37,720 Abraham rose by proper behavior, he rose by discipline, he rose 293 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:43,120 by right standing. You know that was a point in 294 00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:47,680 chapter 15 when God told him, walk before me and be perfect. 295 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:55,960 So and because Abraham heeded and observed that protocol that 296 00:27:55,960 --> 00:28:01,480 was recommended to him, he rose to the level whereby God could 297 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,600 call him what is confident his friend. 298 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:10,680 Same in Second Chronicle chapter 20 verse seven. 299 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:19,520 I thou not our God, would this drive out the inhabitants of 300 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:24,240 this land before thy people history and gave it to the seed 301 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:33,240 of Abraham, thy friend forever, and thou not our goal. 302 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,680 Remember I mentioned that wonderful that God is our 303 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,200 Father. Hallelujah. 304 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:44,960 But by intimacy, He expects us to also rise beyond the level of 305 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:48,880 Him being a father to us, to the level whereby He can also call 306 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,440 us what his friend Jesus said to the disciple. 307 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:56,320 Henceforth, I no longer call you my servant. 308 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:03,360 Now you are my friend because I have revealed certain mysteries 309 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:07,480 and secrets to you and they will properly manage. 310 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:19,130 You have become my confidence. Let's begin to wrap it up for 311 00:29:19,130 --> 00:29:24,170 today and continue next week. Any interpersonal relationship 312 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:28,880 that has not grown to the level of friendship is still maturing, 313 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:38,200 including marriage. Any form of interpersonal 314 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:41,840 relationship that has not grown grown to the friendship level is 315 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,200 still maturing. The full maturity stage of any 316 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:47,560 form of interpersonal relationship is friendship. 317 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:52,920 The full maturity stage of any form of interpersonal 318 00:29:52,920 --> 00:30:00,680 relationship is what friendship? Because on what ground will 319 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:05,200 Abraham as a servant, I said, put your hands on my lap. 320 00:30:11,630 --> 00:30:16,470 So in my consideration, it is for what of order nomenclature 321 00:30:17,430 --> 00:30:24,310 that mere crossing each other's paths and build things together 322 00:30:24,630 --> 00:30:31,040 is regarded as friendship. Oh we we come to church, we just 323 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,160 cross each other's path. We meet in school, we cross each 324 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:39,840 other's path, we attend, maybe we go on excursion together. 325 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:43,800 OK, they have together and then we call ourselves friend. 326 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:47,360 Wonderful. But it is for want of other 327 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:52,320 nomenclature that we call that friendship. 328 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:56,120 Friendship is deeper than the mere applicants. 329 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:02,040 Friendship is deeper than being mere what I could as. 330 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,080 Like I keep on saying, the highest level of interpersonal 331 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:10,360 relationship is friendship. So it therefore be also on even 332 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:16,320 couples to raise their relationship beyond marital 333 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,280 connection and cultural connection to the friendship 334 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:25,800 status. That is where the stability of 335 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:32,240 your own lives if you don't rest it to friendship status, you 336 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:39,240 will be claiming right, Hello, you what claiming right. 337 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,400 There will be contention for position. 338 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:56,520 So until you raise your relationship, even in marriage 339 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,680 beyond marital connection and conjugal connection to the 340 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:05,520 friendship tattoos, it is very possible for legalism of culture 341 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:12,280 or even social protocols to stand against the liberty that 342 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:16,440 makes friendship the most relaxed environment for free 343 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,400 communication and mutual understanding. 344 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,160 So when you raise your relationship to the friendship 345 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:28,040 level, 1 big thing that you enjoy is a relaxed environment 346 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:33,120 for free communication and mutual understanding. 347 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,600 Even when the other partner says something that looks 348 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:41,960 disrespectful, you relate with the hearts and not with what the 349 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:47,120 person here has said. Am I talking to somebody but in 350 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:51,160 a situation whereby you have not come to the level of friendship? 351 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:55,640 Same in Lombardi. So we'll collect labour by a pay 352 00:32:55,640 --> 00:33:01,160 or culinary ayan. Legalism of culture and of 353 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:05,920 social protocol will stand against the liberty that make 354 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,680 friendship the most reliable environment for free 355 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,160 communication and mutual understanding. 356 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:18,320 So what does friendship does where you find it? 357 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:24,000 Friendship brings about simplification of interpersonal 358 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:29,200 relationship. Friendship bring about the 359 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,600 simplification of interpersonal relationship. 360 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:40,320 May I tell you relationship in a generality is a complex concept. 361 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:48,080 So what make relationship universal and easy to operate is 362 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:49,520 when it come to the friendship level. 363 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:56,800 Are you with me? You want to deal with your 364 00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:59,400 mother. That's a way you have to deal 365 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,880 with your mother. You want to deal with your boss 366 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:05,840 in the place of work. OK, it will not be the same. 367 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,239 Will it be? Answer me. 368 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:11,360 You will say this one should be official. 369 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:17,600 This one should not be official. This one is formal language, the 370 00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:22,920 other one is in formal language. The way in the African setting, 371 00:34:23,159 --> 00:34:28,480 the way you talk to the you talk to the children is different 372 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:31,679 from the way the children will talk to their parents. 373 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:37,480 The way the younger brother will relate with the single brother 374 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,000 should be different from the way we relate with the people of 375 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,639 this of this age. Are you with me? 376 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,239 Then you bring it to the extended family marriage 377 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:52,239 situation, OK, The way the wife of the elder brother, we talked 378 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:58,480 to the junior brother. In fact, it can be so, it can be 379 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:04,160 so amusing in some setting that they will compel the wife, OK, 380 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:10,640 to accord respect of an elderly person to the pregnancy that was 381 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:15,400 not yet born when they marry the woman to the family. 382 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:21,560 Are you aware of that? You you will you will see some 383 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,520 senior housewife. OK. 384 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:28,840 They will fight the junior wife, the wife of the wife to the 385 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:32,880 junior brother of their own husband. 386 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:42,000 That why are you not calling my son with a respectable title? 387 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:46,240 Because moti lono relative post to Mefa. 388 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:56,120 So when it comes to the issue of relationship, it can be very 389 00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:00,160 very complex. The only thing that can simplify 390 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,520 relationship is friendship. I mean where relationship 391 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:06,640 generally can be very very complex. 392 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:10,240 The only thing that can simplify relationship is what friendship. 393 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:18,360 So you achieve simplification of relationship where there is what 394 00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:26,850 friendship. So friendship brings about 395 00:36:26,850 --> 00:36:30,050 simplification of interpersonal relationship because 396 00:36:30,050 --> 00:36:34,250 relationship in the generality is a complex concept. 397 00:36:35,370 --> 00:36:38,850 It is friendship that simplifies some level of relationship, 398 00:36:38,850 --> 00:36:43,450 generates natural tension. Natural tension. 399 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:49,720 So some of you, if you are in the office, you are working in 400 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:55,040 an office and say the GM want to see you, you will quickly run to 401 00:36:55,040 --> 00:37:06,280 the toilet to ease yourself. Am I talking to somebody years 402 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:13,520 back when I served in car where we have the opportunity or 403 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:17,560 there's a need for us to meet the chief executive of the the 404 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:22,760 chief executive of the state in my own casual we are just best 405 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:25,640 natural. So if we put some Baba on the 406 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:30,120 list to join us to go to go to Government House. 407 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:37,960 If you see the kind of Abada and they will, they will deck, you 408 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:42,520 will know that this Abada has been staying in reserve for the 409 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:47,040 last five years. It is not that they are going to 410 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:49,360 go and meet the chief executive that they are bringing it, 411 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,480 bringing it out. In fact, some of them will still 412 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:57,320 call you. I say bright dress, wear press 413 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:59,440 the name of the Lord. Because when it comes to a 414 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:03,440 relationship, if there is no friendship, some level of 415 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:05,800 relationship will generate natural tension. 416 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,360 So but when relationship graduated into friendship, every 417 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:18,760 form of tension dissolves. There are people you cannot look 418 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,760 straight into their eyes. There are those who cannot stand 419 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,040 in their front without fidgeting. 420 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:31,080 Such kind of interaction has not entered the friendship mood. 421 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:37,280 But we still find some husband who still constitute themselves 422 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:45,440 to that kind of unhealthy authority, both to their wife 423 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:50,040 and to their children. Most of the time. 424 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:55,160 Why our children lie to us is because we have not introduced 425 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:57,880 the friendship mode of relationship to them. 426 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:06,840 Are we together? So we allows so much tension in 427 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:10,520 our interaction with them and so they also come up with the way 428 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,320 to go around it and deceive us to have their way. 429 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,280 But by the time you understand the concept of friendship, the 430 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:24,360 way Jesus espouses it, that it will not just be at horizontal 431 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,080 level. It can also operate at the 432 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:29,960 practical level where somebody you consider junior come by 433 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:34,280 proper behavior accommodated into your friendship circle. 434 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:37,280 Then you will discover that there will be mutual 435 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:39,280 understanding. There will not be tension in 436 00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:43,160 your relationship. So if your spouse is not your 437 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:47,640 friend, rigidity will characterize the affair of your 438 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:52,480 home. As a result of that, so much 439 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:57,920 protocol will end up free flow of communication if your 440 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:03,400 children are not your friend. You will be disconnected from a 441 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:10,760 number of fighter aspects of their life and some of those 442 00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:15,880 fighter aspects of their life, your inputs that is needed to 443 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,920 guide them, you may deprive them of that. 444 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:27,120 Grace will be given to us to understand that as we study 445 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:35,920 Jesus, as we embrace its discipleship model, we will get 446 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:44,400 to understand that life can be so easy to manage and we will 447 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:50,920 still be ultimately the beneficiary of our submission to 448 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:53,040 the principles of the scriptures. 449 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:59,040 God bless you in Jesus name. We believe you'll be blessed by 450 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:02,920 the ministry of this message. You will do well to be the doer 451 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:06,680 of all you've heard. For further inquiry and 452 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:15,640 spiritual help, contact this number is 08035685882 or worship 453 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:20,360 with us at Oasis of Wisdom Bible Church or Justin's University of 454 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,520 Ellorin Teaching Hospital or Kelsey Ellorin. 455 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:24,400 God bless you.