A Friend

newspaper clipping that was about Abraham Lincoln. As the commentator read the article it was discovered that Lincoln had underlined with a pencil the positive comments that were made about him. It was commented that he had read that paper and then cut it out with his penknife and stuck it in his pocket to read. Also, from the age of the paper it looked as if Lincoln had carried this article in his pocket for some time. Many people do not know what Abraham Lincoln went through during his presidency. First of all he was elected by only a 40% popular vote and then he had to virtually turn the presidency into a dictator ship for the first four years of his presidency to keep the country together. He had many enemies and he was looking for friends. You would have thought that this dearest of all our presidents and the most integral to the thriving nation of America today would not have had a problem getting encouragement. Could you see there in the dimly lit theater box Abraham Lincoln pulling out this little article and glancing at it to gain encouragement.
C. Perhaps Abraham Lincoln needed a friend when he did not have one.
2. You know sometimes we feel that people in public office don’t need friends like us. But it appears that even the most noted man in all of American history could have used another friend at the very time he was about to lose his life.

SERMON BODY:
THE BIBLE TELLS US MUCH ABOUT FRIENDSHIP. There are many friendship relationships recorded in the word of God. Friendship is help in very high regard in the Holy Word.

I. The friendship of David and Jonathan in the Old Testament is legendary.
A. It is an example of close friendship.
1) We live in a day when the homosexual lifestyle and terminology is so in vogue that we tend to shy away from close friendships.
2) David had to have a friend like Jonathan. David was a man destined for the throne of Israel. At an early age God’s hand was upon David. He had been anointed to be king of Israel.
a) Jonathan’s father, King Saul learned very quickly that God’s hand was upon David to be king. He did every thing he could to kill him to discourage him, to run him off.
b) One passage of scripture, I Samuel 23:16 says, "And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went into the woods and strengthened his(David’s) hands in God."
B. We need friends like that.
1) I have a friend like that. He lives in Oklahoma City. His name is Bane James. We have been friends since we were young men together at Emmanuel College. We have gone our separate ways to enter into different fields of ministry but in times of need we always stay in touch with one another.
a) Just a few years ago, in 1994 we launched a church planting project in Gwinnett County. Several people here today were part of that work. When we began, we thought we would have 12 people going with us as our core group. We met with these people just prior to the end of my final term as Georgia Conference Superintendent. We bought a home and moved by faith to begin this new church. We felt the call of God to begin a new church in this area.
b) It had been 12 years since I had pastored, so I was thrilled that all of these people were going to help me get this church off the ground. Every church planting Manual tells you that you need a core group to begin a church. We had our first year’s salary pledged and so with all