FAMOUSyouthGROUP*

Text

friendship.


    1. The importance of friendship
      1. Ephesians 4:13 - “Until we all reach unity and faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
        1. We recently just finished a six week series covering the purpose of our existence according to the bible.  But before I get any further, let me ask you a question: What is your purpose on this planet?
        2. The purpose of our existence can be summed up in roughly six steps: To grow in Christ’s knowledge, to reach unity in faith, to correctly handle the truth, to be mature in Christ, to die to sin, and to share Christ’s love with the nations.
      2. Today, we will be talking a particular aspect one of our purposes of life- which is reaching unity in faith. But today, I would like to focus on something very specific in this part of our purpose: friendship.  
        1. Would you agree that when God commands us to “reach unity in faith,” he’s also saying that the body of Christ should be friends with one another?
        2. Today we will be talking about what friendship is, and what it is intended to be, according to the bible.
        3. Not only that, but today, we will be taking a “journey” in our bible, and today I want you to teach you how easy it is to find your answer in bible- through practice and application.  We are going to use our bibles a lot today, so bust em out.
    1. Let’s talk!
      1. What is friendship?  What does it mean to be a friend to someone?
        1. Now lets reason with something.  Say you had a best friend.  You’ve been friends ever since you were cute little chromosomes, and have been friends forever.  You would do absolutely anything for this friend, and your friend would do the same.  Now may I position a question: what if your best friend influences you to sin?
        2. What about gangs?  In most cases, gang members would stand and die for their cause no matter it may be. Gangs are tightly knitted communities, bonded by criminal acts- yet ask yourself: is the friendship among gang members true friendship?  (True friendship being the friendship defined in the bible)
        3. Say your close friends pressure you to be involved with something you don’t want to do, but the only reason you’re doing it, is because you want to be a true friend, and not let your “friends” down by not doing it.  Is this true friendship?
        4. These are examples of a false friendship.
    1. False friendship according to the bible 
      1. We are going to take a journey in our bibles.  A journey of friendship.  Lets all hold hands.  Brace yourselves.
      2. What is a bad friendship?
        1. I Corinthians 15:33 - “Do not be misled: ‘bad company corrupts good character.’”
        2. Proverbs 13:20 - “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”
          1. Black and white.  The bible is telling you to be careful with who you associate yourself with.  To put it very bluntly, an aspect that should be avoided when you’re selecting friends, is to be careful of people who will cause you to sin.  People who will cause you to sin, according to the bible, are characteristics of false friendships.
        3. Proverbs 22:24 - “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered.
          1. It says very plainly, that we should not make friends with people who get angry very easily.  Why do you think?
        4. Proverbs 12:26 - “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
          1. The way of the wicked leads friends astray. Be careful in your selection of friends- and be wary of the influence false friends have on you.
        5. So what if you already have friends that cause you to sin?  What if you already have friends that are easy become angry?  The answer to this question… Will be answered later.
        6. So we’ve gone over what a false friendship is.  But what is a true friendship according to the bible’s standard?
      1. What is a true friendship?
        1. Proverbs 27:17 - “As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens another.” 
          1. According to the bible, friendship is characterized as accountability, and building each other up spiritually.
          2. When a friend sins, it takes a true Christian friend to correct and redirect their path- although sometimes it may hurt.  It’s a lot easier to be tolerant of the mistakes friends make, but it is better to allow them to hurt and be correct in the name of God than allow them to continue their lives of reckless pleasure, and make them pay the price with eternal suffering.
          3. Lets talk about “iron sharpening iron.”  I’m going to assume that no one here is a master blacksmith… But when you envision someone sharpening a sword, for example.  What do you envision?  How much strength and precision is required to forge and sharpen a weapon?  Is it simple?  No.  My point is, like sharpening a sword, it takes a lot hard work; it is not easy to “sharpen” your friends in Christ.
          4. But back to my previous point, in other words, the bible tells us to be brutally honest with our friends:
        2. Proverbs 27:6 - “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiples kisses.” 
          1. This verse characterizes a true friend as someone who will be honest with you- even if it hurts. Flattery is nice, but sometimes it distracts you from the truth.
          2. Would a true friend allow you to continue to sin and destroy yourself?  No.  Once again, the expense of hurting your friend only for a little while, is nothing compared to the cost that will have to be paid if your friend is never corrected.
          3. It is our responsibly to lead others to Christ.  It is our responsibility to show them the way- sometimes, it may hurt to redirect our friends out of love- therefore, it is our responsibility to show them “tough love.”  Because sometimes, nobody else will show them.
          4. Let me show you an example: Have you ever gotten the slipper, or the belt, or the newspaper, or the coat hanger to the butt whenever you made a mistake as a child?
          5. This verse also explains that true friends are faithful.
          6. So faithful, they will help you up whenever you fall:
        3. Ecclesiastes 4:10 - “If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
          1. This is very self explanatory.
        4. Proverbs 17:17 - “A friend loves at all times…”
          1. How often does a friend love?  When you get into an argument with your friend, do you stop loving them?  When your friend has done something bad to you… Do you stop loving them?  When you catch your best friend with your boyfriend or girlfriend do you… No, just playing.  My point is, a true friend loves at all times.  The bible doesn’t say “A friend loves at all times, except when thine best friend stealeth your significant other.”  Negative.
        5. John 15:13 - “Greater love has no one than this, than he lay down his life for his friends.”,
        6. 1 John 3:16 - “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
          1. According to the bible, the true definition, and ultimate form of friendship is- is the friendship bonded by a love that is great enough to lay his life down for his friends.
          2. I want you to understand the significance of this.  When God calls us to reach unity in faith, and develop friendships with each other, he’s not talking about being casual acquaintances.  The friendships he wants us to develop within the body of Christ are expected to be so intense, and strong, and so full of love, even to the extent of dying for each other, as Christ did for us.
        7. Now keep in mind… We’ve just gone over what a true friend is.  A true friend is accountable, a true friend is honest, a true friend will always help you when you fall, a true friend will love you at all times, and a true friend will even die for you.  But I’m going to tie these verses into my ultimate point.
        8. Proverbs 18:24 NKJ - “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
          1. The point I’m trying to make is this.  The information that you’ve acquired tonight- what a good or bad friend is- should not solely be used to filter out your selection of friends.  Don’t look at someone and go “Oop, he or she doesn’t pass the short temper test, so I’m not gonna be friends with this person.”  No.  Do not misinterpret.  And do not get the impression that we should avoid bad friends or bad people.  But on the contrary, we need to be an example of what a true friend is according to God’s standard.
          2. Referring to the question I stated earlier… what if you already have friends that cause you to sin?  What if you already have friends that are easy become angry?  The answer… Is not to abandon them.  But instead, show them through your actions… What a true friend is.
          3. The lesson today is not about judging others and avoiding bad friends- but I want you all to learn, that we are the salt and light of the world.  We are called to be the example for this generation. Therefore, we are called to be what a true friend should be.
          4. So take what you’ve learned today… And apply it to yourself and your own life.  Be a true friend to not just your acquaintances and your family, but everyone around you.  Both good and bad people.  To snobby rich people on Rodeo Drive to the homeless man on skid row.  To the gangster who wants to kill you, to your brothers and sisters in church.  Be accountable to them.  Be honest to them.  Help them in their times of need.  Love them at all times.  And love them to the point where you would even lay your life down for them.
          5. A man that has friends must first show himself friendly.  So share God’s love with your friends by being a good friend.

    To Tumblr, Love PixelUnion