FRIEND IN HEAVEN
TEXT: John 15.13, 14
INTRODUCTION:
A. A famous singer has a song entitled, "Friends in low places."
B. People seem to like to brag about this very fact.
C. Yet at a Christian, we can brag about a fact that others cannot say.
D. We can tell, we can sing about a friend in a heavenly place.
E. This friend is named Jesus.
F. He is a constant companion, a very present help in trouble, and He will always be there for us.
G. He is sitting on the throne making intercession for us.
H. Thank God for a friend in a heavenly place.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FRIENDS
A. Loves all the time.
"A friend loveth at all times . . ." (Proverbs 17:17)
B. Sticks closer than a brother.
". . . there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
C. Will go anywhere with you.
"And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:" (Ruth 1:16)
D. Loves you more than himself.
"And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul." (1 Samuel 20:17)
E. Not ashamed of you.
"The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:" (2 Timothy 1:16)
F. Willing to die for you.
"Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:16)
G. A friend gives support when you are alone.
"Two are better than one . . . for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow . . ." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
JESUS - THE TRUE FRIEND
A. Jesus told us that he would not leave us.
"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (John 14:18)
B. The people saw Christ’s love and friendship concerning Lazarus.
"Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!" (John 11:36)
C. Christ called His disciples, friends.
"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends . . ." (John 15:15)
D. He is with us always.
". . . lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:20)
E. Christ was crucified for us.
"Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." (John 19:18)
F. Mountains may be removed, but His kindness will not.
"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee . . . saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee." (Isaiah 54:10)
G. He is touched by our pain.
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)
H. He is coming again.
"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)
I. We have been called His friends by God.
"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)
OUR FRIEND IN HEAVEN
A. Christ is gone into heaven.
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God . . ." (Hebrews 4:14)
B. He was carried into heaven.
"And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." (Luke 24:51)
C. He sat down at the right hand of God.
"So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19)
D. Christ entered into God’s presence to interceed for us.
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:" (Hebrews 9:24)
E. Everything is subject unto Him.
"Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." (1 Peter 3:22)
F. Stephen saw Christ at the right hand of God.
"And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56)
CONCLUSION:
A. Where is your friend.
B. Is he one you tell about in lowly places, or in a heavenly place.
C. We have friends on this earth, but yet we have a friend who is always there.
D. This friend will be there in the good times, and bad, when we are on the mountain or in the valley.
E. This friend loves us, even when we were still a sinner.
F. This friend is Jesus - the closest friend one can have.
