It's good to see everyone that's here.
This morning, we're glad you're here.
And those that are visiting from other congregations or the
community or wherever you are from.
We welcome you and invite you back at every opportunity.
We're glad you're here. Listen to what Jesus says in
John, the 15th chapter and verses 13 through 15.
Jesus says greater love. Has no one than this than to lay
down. One's life for his friends, you
are my friends. If you do whatever I command
you, no longer do I call you servants.
For a servant, does not know what his master is doing, but I
have called you friends for all things that I hear heard from my
father, I have made known to you.
You know, one of the greatest things that we can have on this
Earth today is a friend, a friendship.
You know, and I know what a true friend is.
And one of the sweetest hymns, I think that has ever been written
is the one that that we're all familiar with what a friend we
have in Jesus. And I believe that the basis for
that him is found here in John 15 where Jesus said, you are my
friends. If you do whatever I command you
and then he said, henceforth, I call you not servants but I've
called you friends. We not only have friends here on
this Earth. That we call true friends, but
we have a friend in heaven. We have Jesus as a friend, he
not only States what kind of friend he is and other ones.
In other words, one that would lay down his life for his
friends. The Lord is also inviting us
into a relationship with him. When we have a friend here on
Earth, we have a relationship. It's not just an acquaintance,
but it is a relationship. It it has been said that our
lives are a tapestry lined with the faces of friends when we
think of memories. When we have memories in life.
Usually that brings up people that we remember as friends and
things that we've done with our friends and acquaintances.
But I wonder how many real friends do you really have?
I'm not talking about the superficial kind of
acquaintance. The person next door or who's
working in the work station, right?
Next to you. Or the person you talked to an
occasion at some kind of family gathering or or church Gathering
or whatever, maybe even a gospel meeting.
I'm not talking about those that we consider sometimes just
Kindred Spirits. I'm talking about, the kind of
friendship that goes beneath the surface.
Will you have a heart felt connection with that person and
a spiritual connection? I'm talking about where you have
all things in common and that person with that person and a
lot of times, that's because of our relationship with Jesus
Christ. This is a kind of relationship
that when we talk about true friends, it's a relationship
that a husband has with his wife and a wife has with her husband.
These are the kind of relationships that Jesus desire
desires to have with you. And I today Friends really are
one of the most precious gifts that God gives to us.
They know us for who we really are and love us anyway.
They know us. And love us just the same.
They accept us for who we are. Even though we act, silly and
goofy and we make mistakes and we have problems in our life but
without suspecting us to be putting up a front and being
someone other than who we are really, they still accept us for
Who We Are. Friends allow us to make to let
our hair down and be comfortable without worrying about how we
look. I've been blessed with having
many friends through the years, and hopefully still have a few
in this world, I can sit down with one of my friends and I can
pour out my heart to them. Let them know, my deepest
feelings, and my deepest concerns, my problems, my
struggles, my things that that hurt me.
And and they'll listen to me You may have a friend just like
that. That's what friends do.
They give us they give of themselves to us and they also
listen they carry us when we need to be carried, they know
everything about us, the good and the bad and still remain our
friends. The beautiful thing about
friends is that the relationship usually is a two-way street.
They're truthful with you. Let's notice some scriptures
about friends and Ecclesiastes for in verses 9 through 12 to
are better than one. Because they have a good reward
for their labor. For if they fall one will lift
up His companion. But woe unto him.
Who is alone. When he falls for, he has no one
to help him again. If to lie down together, they
will keep warm. But how can one be warm alone
for though? One may be overpowered by
another? To can withstand him.
A three-fold cord is not quickly broken.
You see friends are nice to have around to.
When we have problems in one, we are discouraged and all that
that lifts us up, they help us, they encourage us and all these
kinds of things. Proverbs 18 verse 20, for a man
who has friends must himself, be friendly, but there is a friend
who sticks closer than a brother Proverbs 27.
And six faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful. Kisses of an enemy are
deceitful. Eful Proverbs 27, and verse
nine. Join button and perfume,
Delight, the heart. And the sweetness of a man's
friends friend gives Delight by Hardy Council. when we truly
have a lasting relationship with Jesus, we give and we get we
take and receive we carry and were carried and the beautiful
thing about knowing Jesus and knowing god is that we have a
close and personal relationship with them.
What kind of friend is Jesus? One.
He's a friend forever. He's also a friend you can count
on is the kind of friend that sticks with you through thick
and thin. the kind of friend that's there when you need him,
the most When we ask ourselves a question of who, can I call on
in an emergency or tragedy when you really need someone, who
would you call? Who can you really count on when
you need the help? You may have heard this before,
there's a man by the name of Joseph scriven.
He was a man that centuries ago on the Streets of Port.
Hope Ontario man, could be seen walking along carrying a saw and
a sawhorse. And one day a rich man from
across. The street, saw him and said to
a friend, he looks like a sober, man.
I think I'll hire him to cut wood for me.
The man replied that's Joseph scriven, the friend replied, he
couldn't, he wouldn't cut wood for you.
He only Cuts would for those who don't have enough to pay and
that sends up sums up. The philosophy of Joseph
medlicott scriven, a man who Took The Sermon on the Mount
literally scriven was born in Dublin Ireland in 1819.
He fell for a lovely young woman but on the eve of their wedding,
she accidentally drowned Scriven never recovered from the shock
and the Irish man began to wonder hoping to forget his
sorrow at age. 25, he finally settled in Canada.
His faith led him to do. Menial tasks for poor, widows in
and the sick, he often worked for no wages and was regarded by
the people of the community, as a kind, man, albeit odd.
He later fell in love and again and planned to marry a wonderful
Christian, Canadian woman, but again, tragedy struck his fiance
died after Contracting pneumonia.
In 1855, a friend visited an ill, scriven and discovered, a
poem that had been had written for his ailing mother.
In Faraway Ireland scriven didn't have money to visit her
but he sent her the poem as an encouragement.
He called it pray without ceasing when the friend enquired
about the poems are origin scriven.
Reportedly answered the Lord and I did it between us.
Scriven never intended for the poem to be published, but it
made its rounds and it was set to music in 1868 by Music
musician. Charles Converse, who titled it?
What a friend we have in Jesus. it has since become one of the
greatest hymns scriven died in 1886, are Ironically in an
accident accidental, drowning In his memory of the town and the
town of Port. Hope they erected a monument
with the inscription from Scrivens famous song.
In his arms, he'll take and shield thee out, will find a
Solace there. The verses to that word are
this? What a friend we have in Jesus
all our sins and griefs to Bear? What a privilege to carry
Everything To God In Prayer. O, what peace?
We often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain?
We Bear all because we do not carry Everything To God In
Prayer. Have we trials?
And temptations is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend? So faithful who will all our
sorrows share. Jesus knows our every weakness,
take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden
cumbered with a load of care? Precious savior still, our
refuge take it to the Lord in prayer, do thy friends, despise
forsake thee, take it to the Lord in prayer in his arms,
he'll take and shield thee, thou Wilt find a Solace there.
This old song has been sung. Hundreds, if not thousands of
times. And if not, maybe ten thousands
of times, it is still more than expresses the blessings that we
have in Jesus and having Jesus as our friend Not only as a
friend but I helped her a strength to call upon when were
weak and too weak to carry our own burdens alone?
What other friends do? We have that?
We can turn to expecting to see our every weakness and our
problems. What will shield us and come to
our side and protect us and help us and encourage us and lift us
up in times of distress. Some other of our friends will
leave us when the problems started and when things don't go
right, but Jesus is always there.
Ready to listen to us, ready to encourage us and help us even
when we stumble and fall and fall short of serving him, you
know, there's also a friend that we call sometimes the fair
weathered friend, and Jesus is not a fair weathered friend.
They'd only shares the better times and walks away from us
when the Trials come. And The Temptations and grief
come our way more than all this. He lifts us up when we fall and
he encourages us to try again. He refer gives us our sins even
against him. And our text of John 15 and 14.
Jesus says, you are my friends. If you do whatever I command
you. And some think that if I just do
what God commands me, Then he'll be my friend.
We've seen that kind of friendship before the kind of
friendship that there are only the the friends, then the person
that will be your friend if they have something to gain.
If they have something to prosper out of the friendship.
They'll be your friend till they're done with you till
they've used you up and they're finished with you.
Their friendship is based on conditions and nothing else and
if you don't give them what they want and they're not going to be
a loving person. They're not going to be a
friend. They're not going to be there.
Helping you And they'll be very hypocritical.
But sometimes we put conditions on God. we made tell God, if
you'll just help me through this, I'll be loyal friend
forever. We put conditions on God.
But it is this loyalty only going to be there as long as you
get what you want. And then when you don't get what
you want then you will not serve God you won't be as friend.
You won't have that relationship with him that he desires to have
with you. You see it's not good for us to
put conditions on God. That we will be his friend only
if we get out of God, what we want.
God becomes sometimes to some people more, no, more than an
errand boy, to get what they want. but you see God is
inviting us to be his friend and we can't tell God that we will
only be his friend if he'll do something for us to True
friendship and love our best manifest by what a man is
willing to do on behalf of others, even when there's no
return, even when there's no joy, sometimes even when there's
no reward and there's no benefit for us, That's the best
manifest, a friendship. And that's exactly what Jesus
did for us. When we don't deserve, what we
are given And that is eternal life. what kind of friend that
Jesus, Jesus is a friend forever, Jesus said in Matthew
28 and verse 20, excuse me, I should have Got behind on this.
I am, I Am With You Always even to the End of the Age.
So regardless you know, some friends just come and go.
Something happens in your life. And some of the friends that you
thought were true friends, they just vanish and they go away and
you never see them or hear from them again, or maybe later on
when they need something you finally hear from them.
Again, Jesus is not like that. Jesus is a friend forever.
Not today. Only, but he'll be a friend
tomorrow and he'll be a friend to the End of the Age.
Hebrews 13 and verse 8. Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday today and forever. He's not going to change his
friendship with you just because something happens in your life.
So if Jesus is your friend today, he will be your friend
forever. Jesus is also a friend that will
be with us through thick and thin.
Hebrews 13 Verse 5, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, we
have those friends that, you know, when the when the problems
come and when you need their help, the most they don't show
up. Or they don't call, or they
don't return the call, or they don't come by, when you need
them, the most when you're having struggles in life, but
Jesus says, I will never leave you. and never forsake, you
Jesus is a friend that will be honest with us Hebrews 12 and
verses 5 through 6 and you have begotten, the exportation, which
speaketh speaks to you as two sons, my son's do not despise
the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged.
When you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord, loves he chastens
and scourges every son whom he receives He will be honest with
us and tell us when we're wrong so we can correct it.
You know, all I can say, is, you know, he talks about here,
chasing the Lord, do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor
be discouraged, when you are reviewed by him, because he
chastens whom, he loves. All I can say, is when I was a
little kid, I knew I was loved because of all the chastening I
got. And a lot of us are that way.
We were really, really loved, but Jesus and God tell us what
we're doing wrong. You know, a good friend, does
that they tell you you're wrong. You need to, you need to fix
this. The one that's not a true friend
will just let you bury yourself and God and Jesus are not like
that. Jesus will let you know.
But Jesus is merciful and faithful and dependable a
friend, Hebrews 2 and his 16 through 17 for verily.
He took not on him, the nature of angels, but he took on him,
the Seed of Abraham wherefore in all things.
He it behooved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he
might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Notice second, Thessalonians 3. And verse 3, we shall finished a
study with on this verse last Lord's evening.
But the Lord is faithful. Who will establish you and guard
you from the evil one. He's not going to be the one
that takes off when Trouble Comes our way, he will
strengthen us, he will establish us, he will better strengthen
our foundation so that our faith is strong.
So when troubles come our way, He will guard us.
When I think about this verse, what pops into my mind, is a
football game. And the person that has, where's
the, the position name guard, his whole purpose is to guard
the quarterback. And when when the other players
come running towards the quarterback, he's there to knock
him down and to knock him out of the way.
Now, that doesn't mean that sometimes that he gets knocked
out, doesn't get knocked over. But the thing is, when our faith
is strengthened by God and by Jesus when we're stablished,
like he says, here in this verse And when things come our way, we
don't get knocked over. It's by him and through him that
we are guarded from the evil one and that is the kind of friend
that we want. We all maybe have seen I can't
remember. This just came to mind this.
This movie that was on here a few years ago, about this, this
large guard. And, and he was really didn't
have much of an education did better.
But but the person is stepmother.
If you want to say, I wish I could remember the demon.
This had a little talk with him and told him your position is to
not. Let them get to your
quarterback. That's that's who you're
protecting, right there. Do you understand me?
And so, that's what Jesus is. He's a friend that will not let
the evil one get to us. Also, Jesus is a compassionate
friend, Matthew 11 verses 28 through, 30, come to me, all you
who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for.
I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light. He's a compassion friend you
know, when we have problems there's nothing better than
having somebody come up and give you a big hug and give you some
compassion, give you some love, give you some help.
Give you some encouragement, give you the strength that you
need and that's what Jesus is. He is a compassionate friend.
Why? Because Jesus is a friend that
will help us through the trial. Because in Hebrews 2 and verse
218 for in that he himself, has suffered being tempted, he is
able to Aid. Those who are tempted.
Why is he compassionate friend? Because he knows He was tempted
just like we are Hebrews 4 verse 15.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses. But was in all points tempted as
we are yet without sin. We don't have a high priest that
didn't go through the same problems.
The same Temptations, the same trials, the same
discouragements. Because he did.
Who better to sympathize with than someone that's gone through
the same thing you're going through.
Also, Jesus is a powerful friend Hebrews 2 and verses seven
through eight. You have made him a little lower
than the Angels you have crowned him with Glory and Honor.
And set him over the works of your hands.
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.
For in that he put all in subjection under him.
He left nothing that is not put under him, but now we do not
yet, see all the things put under him.
He's power bill because he is the most powerful.
He is power more powerful than the devil.
He is, he has become Victorious over death, hell and the grave.
He is a powerful friend, you know, when I when I have
problems in life, you know, if I don't have the strength to do
something, I call a friend. Not someone that's necessarily
weaker than me, but someone is stronger than me to help me pick
something up. To help me push something out of
the way. You know, if I was going into
the battle today, I would want the strongest meanest.
Soldier by my side, the fiercest battle Warrior at my side.
And that's who Jesus is. He is a powerful friend, and
everything is under his subjection.
Jesus is a friend that gave his life for you, John, 15 and verse
13. Our text greater love has no one
than this than to lay down one's life for his friends.
Arbor also Hebrews, 9 verse 14, how much more shall the blood of
Christ? Who through the eternal spirit
offered himself without spot to God?
Cleansing your conscience from dead Works to serve the Living
God. Jesus, proved he was in his, our
friend, when he gave his life for us, as a sacrifice for our
sins, that we may have the hope of being reconciled to God and
living eternally in heaven. If we are Jesus friends, we will
follow him wherever he leads us. Jesus is a friend that gave His
Life For All Mankind. Not only me, but all mankind,
Hebrews 10 and 10. By that, we have been Sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for All
For All Mankind. Even the person that is living
in sin. Now, Those who have done things
that they think they could never turn to God.
Jesus gave his life for them as well.
Jesus is a friend that can save everyone and intercedes for
them. Hebrews 7 and 25.
Therefore he is able also able to save to the uttermost, those
who come to God through him, since he always lives to make
intercession for them. We see so much sin in the world
today and and it just it just absolutely amazes me how deep
into sin. People can get And some just
absolutely reject. Every thing that has to do with
God or Jesus. But also, there have been people
that have been transformed. From that sinful life.
Maybe they were at the very bottom of the pit.
But Jesus raised them up and Jesus died for those as well, as
you and me. He died for those who are in
such deep sin. As well as you and me.
And he intercedes for all. Well, Jesus ought to be our
friend because of the mock trial.
He endured the beating that he took for us.
The humiliating treatment he took for us across that.
He carried the nail scarred hands and feet the scars on his
head from the crown of thorns the scar on his side from the
spear that pierced his side. He proved he is our friend by
what he did for us. Jesus, I hope we can all say
this. Jesus is my friend because he
knows all my faults. He accept me as I am and that is
imperfect. He sees my weaknesses and he
never gives up on me. I can trust him to lead me all
the way home. I can follow him wherever he
goes, I can confess every sin and every failure and every
problem that I have in my life, And he still is my friend with
him. I share my thoughts, and
feelings, and frustrations, and fears, and joys and sorrows.
To him, I confide my deepest needs things that that maybe I
can't express to others. He always understands he hears
my thoughts, as well as my prayers.
He tells me the truth even if it hurts Jesus rejoices with me
when I'm happy in him. And when I'm sad, he shares my
grief, when I'm too tired to go on, he holds me up when I lose
my way, he finds my hand and guides me.
In his path, he's my friend and he's always there.
He shows me why he gave his life for me so that he and I can be
together for all eternity. Because he joined me to himself
through the Crossman, his friends are my friends, his
enemies are my enemies, his battles or my battles and he
always wins even when I must share his wounds and bear, some
little bit of scars in this life.
Every morning we plan our day together.
All day long, we talk. To each other, we work together
or Inseparable my friend is wise, patient, loving and kind.
He's faithful, consider it unchanging.
Pure a strong Dependable, loyal and true.
Jesus truly is a friend of mine and I hope a friend of yours.
If you don't have Jesus as a friend today, I hope you'll
consider becoming his friend by taking the invitation to be his
friend. Once you hear the word in Romans
10 verse 17. So then faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the word of God, once you believe and Hebrews 11
verse 6. But without faith, it is
impossible to please him. For he who comes to God, must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who did
diligently seek him. You want to repent of your life
and look 13 and 3. I tell you no but unless you
repent you will all likewise perish.
We need to confess the name of Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 10 verse 32, therefore whoever confesses me
before men him, I will also confess before my father who is
in heaven and then we need to be baptized into Christ, Acts 2,
and verse 38 and Peter and said to them, repent and be baptized
and let every one of you be. Baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit. Once we have obeyed, the
commands of Jesus, we are his friend.
He will be your friend and he invites you into a relationship
with him. We have to accept the invitation
of that relationship to be his friend.
Once you consider these things this morning, we thank you for
listening to our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15
plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at True Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.