#What a Friend We Have in Jesus
John 15:13-15
This morning as we look at our second hymn in the series Hymns You Love
I want us to take a look at another favorite
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
John 15:13-15
The words of the hymn "What a friend we have in Jesus" were written by Banbridge man and church minister Joseph Scriven. He was actually in Canada when his mother was unwell and feeling down, so he wrote her a poem to cheer her up - it found its way into the local paper. The story goes that it was used as the inner wrapping of a gift sent to someone in New York, and the person who opened the package happened to glance through the pages. He was so taken that he saw to it that it was published. The music was added later, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history! Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends! What a powerful statement Jesus is making
And what is even more important is that He made this statement in the upper room
Just hours before He was to be betrayed, arrested, tried and crucified
No doubt these words – lay down his life for his friends- would ring through His disciples minds
As He was crucified in their place
Being a friend of Christ means that you have His sacrifice
And our sins and griefs to bear
That sacrifice that you as a friend of Jesus partake in is what carries those sins and burdens away
Far to often I feel we as Christians take for granted what it means to be a friend of Jesus
Many years ago a young Canadian man, his wife, his two children and another young man were pursued by a large pack of wolves
When about to be overtaken, they shot some of the wolves
This stopped the pack for a short time while they devoured the fallen beasts
Again about to be overtaken they cut loose the lead horse
This slowed the pack once more as they pounced on their next victim
The group was trying to reach the place of safety
But before they could do so, the wolves were upon them
The young man accompanying this family said
The only hope is for me to give myself to the wolves
Then he immediately jumped from the vehicle into the pack of wolves
Of course he was devoured immediately
The family rushed into safety just before the pack was on them one last time
They could hardly rest
They said “Our friend gave himself for us. We are living because he is dead” REPEAT
This is Jesus
What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer
We always pray or end our prayers with some version of the statement “In Jesus name we pray”
That is the privilege
If He hadn’t died on that cross
If He hadn’t rose again the third day
If He hadn’t ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father
We would never be able to approach God with our prayers
We pray to God the Father, and Jesus carries those prayers to Him
If it wasn’t for Jesus’ sacrifice God would see each of us as nothing but vile wicked sinners
It doesn’t matter how much or how little we have sinned
In God’s eyes all He sees is a sinner
I can imagine this conversation in Heaven
It starts with me
Lord, I have sinned, I have done this awful thing and I pray for you to forgive me
As I pray God is listening and He says
Look at that filth, he disgusts me
His life is full of sin makes me want to puke
How dare he approach my holy throne in such a manner
Does he not know I am a holy God?
But Father, Jesus says, my blood paid for his sins
I died on that cross to cover all of it
He is not approaching you in vain, or of his own accord
Let us look at his sin record Father
And as Jesus hands the Father a list of my sins
It is supernaturally changed from a white sheet covered in black as coal print of my sins
Into a solid blood stained sheet, washed white as snow
And the Father says, he is forgiven
All God sees is the blood of Jesus, nothing else
What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer
Now sometimes we may forget our opportunity for peace and needlessly bear the pains on this earth
Why? Because we do not carry everything to God in prayer
Carry those burdens, carry that pain, carry those sins to God
And through the best friend you can ever have, Jesus Christ, God will take it all away
There is a bond that exists between friends
Friends share one another’s hurts, hopes, dreams, dilemmas, joys and jolts
There is a personal connection between friends that mirrors the kind of relationship that Jesus wants to have with you
Jesus sets a level for love that in a word is supreme
Jesus loves you with a level of love that you will never be able to fully comprehend
The standard He sets is higher than we may be able to understand
Jesus sets the standard with His own actions
Jesus came to this earth with one purpose in mind
Laying down His life for us
Jesus was born, so that He could die
Think of it this way; Jesus loves you enough to sacrifice absolutely everything for you
You might not realize it or maybe you’re ignoring it
But Jesus loves you with an undying love
This love that Jesus has for you is stronger than any other fact in your life
The love of Jesus is stronger than any pain you may experience
Jesus gives the promise that He will give us comfort in the midst of our deepest pain.
He makes it clear that there will never be a time that He is not with us in our times of need.
The love of Jesus is stronger than any failure you may have committed.
Jesus loves us in spite of the things that we have done.
Jesus not only promises to forgive our sins but He also forgets them.
He simply wipes the slate of our lives clean and then refuses to remember what we have done
The love of Jesus is stronger than any problem you may have to face.
Jesus said that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
He will be there in the midst of our joys. He will stand with us in our sorrows.
He gives us confidence when we are strong and courage when we are weak.
The love of Jesus is stronger than any fault that you may have.
There is nothing that you can do to make Jesus love you any less.
He loves you with an unconditional love.
There are no strings attached.
There are no bargains to be made.
He just loves us all the same.
Jesus says you are my friends…IF
If what?
If you do what I command
Jesus makes it clear here that we are to do what he commands if we are to be called His friends.
At first glance this almost appears childish.
How many times have you heard children give some kind of condition on their friendship?
If you don’t do such and such, I won’t be your friend.
This is not what Jesus is doing here.
What is it that Jesus wants us to do?
The command that Jesus gives is in verse 17.
This is my command: Love each other.
The condition for friendship with Jesus is the simple fact that we follow His example.
We are meant to love others as Jesus loves them.
The only way to do this is to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
He says I no longer call you servants
A servant is simply an agent, doing what his master commands
And often not understanding his master’s commands
Just like when I tell my kids to do something. Why?
Because your father said so that’s why
Bill Cosby “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out. And I can make another one that looks just like you”
But Jesus takes His friends into His confidence
He says everything I have made known to you
Because Jesus Christ is Lord and Master
He should call us servants
Instead He calls us friend
How comforting and reassuring to be one of Christ’s friends
Because He is Lord and Master we owe Him our unqualified obedience
But most of all Jesus asks us to obey Him because we love Him
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
And as a friend to us, not just a Master whom we are a lowly servant of
Jesus shares in our sorrows
He knows what it is like to be hurt, to be tempted
He knows our every weakness, so take it to the Lord in prayer!
One of the best things about having a friend in Jesus is He will never leave you
My best friend as a child was my friend Stephen K-12
But something dreadful happened my sophomore year
I had asked the prettiest girl in school to go to prom, and she said yes, ( I thought she was anyway)
My best friend stabbed me in the back- he asked and she went with him instead
I’m not sure I ever got over that
But that is how earthly friends can be
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Sometimes yes
But not Jesus
Hebrews 13:5 says “God has said, Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”
How’s that for a friend? A friend that sticks closer than a brother
We all need friends that will stick close, listen, care and offer help when it is needed. In good times and bad
It is better to have one such friend then dozens of superficial acquaintances
And Jesus is that friend
He is always close, listening, caring and is ready, willing and infinitely able to help no matter what the need
You must chose your friends wisely
Why not choose the greatest friend possible
Philips Craig and Dean
Who am I that You are mindful of me?
That You hear me when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me?
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend
Isn’t it wonderful to be called a friend of God?
In the last verse of this great hymn we find the greatest amount of comfort
Are you weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care
Are the sins of your life weighing you down with guilt?
Are you weak from carrying this burden all alone?
Take it to the Lord in prayer
He is our Precious Savior, our refuge, why?
Because in His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find solace there
He will give you comfort
He will bring you peace
He will lift that burden of guilt off your shoulders
And there you will find rest, sweet rest.
The deepest desire in the heart of Jesus is to call you His friend but the choice is up to you.
Just like the friends you have now, a connection had to be made to create that friendship.
Jesus wants you to connect with Him today.
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9-10
Three steps to connecting with Jesus
A - Admit that you are a sinner
The term sin is not just about guilt.
It is about the human condition.
A fact that we all have to face.
At one point or another, we have all failed God.
The Greek word most often used for sin, literally means to miss the mark or to make a mistake.
When we admit the fact that we have sinned, it is nothing more than telling God:
“I have messed up, I blew it or I failed”
If you’re honest with yourself, you can say that to God.
B - Believe in Jesus
Believing means to make something a common part of your life.
It means to put something into practice. There is an old saying:
“If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.”
There are three things that you need to believe to become a friend of Christ
1.) Believe that Jesus died in your place on the cross
2.) Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead on that first Easter
morning
3.) Believe that Jesus lives to bring new life to you
C - Commit your life to Jesus
Commitment is one of the things that seems to be declining in our society but it is one of the essential needs to being a friend of Jesus.
When we commit to Jesus, we are not only allowing Him to save us but to change our lives.
Jesus changes people from the inside out.
When we turn to Jesus we are really turning from our sin.
If you do not know where you stand with Jesus today
Please make that choice to follow Him
Jesus is waiting to make a personal connection with you
He wants to call you His friend
