Sermon Central
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God’s Friends - Good Friends - Bad Friends : International Friendship Day
Contributed by Dr. Stanley Vasu on Aug 2, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: THIS SERMON TEACHES ABOUT HOW TO BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS AND THE RESULTANT BLESSINGS AS WELL AS THE NATURE AND VALUE OF GOOD FRIENDS AND THE NATURE AND THE DANGER OF BAD FRIENDS
GOD’S FRIENDS - GOOD FRIENDS - BAD FRIENDS : INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY MUSINGS
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OUTLINE
A. GOD’S FRIENDS
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1. WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS WHEN WE OBEY HIS COMMANDS AND THEN WE WILL RECEIVE HIS REVELATIONS LIKE ABRAHAM DID AND WE WILL LIVE A FRUITFUL LIFE AND GET ANSWERS TO ALL OUR PRAYERS
2. WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS BY DEMONSTRATING AN UNWAVERING FAITH IN HIM AND HIS PROMISES THROUGH OUR WORDS AND DEEDS, LIKE ABRAHAM DID
3. WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS WHEN WE RENOUNCE OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD. IF WE BECOME A FRIEND OF THE WORLD WE WILL BECOME AN ENEMY OF GOD.
4. WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS WHEN WE LOVE HIM MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THIS WORLD INCLUDING OUR CLOSEST FAMILY MEMBERS, LIKE ABRAHAM WHO WAS READY TO SACRIFICE HIS SON ISAAC IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
5. WHEN WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS , GOD WILL BLESS EVEN OUR DESCENDANTS WITH WONDERFUL PROMISES LIKE HE DID FOR ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
6. WHEN WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS , GOD WILL DELIVER EVEN OUR DESCENDANTS FROM THEIR ENEMIES AND FIGHT THEIR BATTLES , LIKE HE DID FOR THE ISRAELITES IN THE TIME OF JEHOSHAPHAT.
7. WHEN WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS , HE WILL DEFEND US AND VINDICATE US IF ANYONE SPEAKS AGAINST US LIKE HE DID FOR MOSES
B. GOOD FRIENDS
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1. GOOD FRIENDS WILL SHOW US THEIR TRUE LOVE AT ALL TIMES
2. GOOD FRIENDS WILL SHARE OUR JOYS AND SORROWS. THEY WILL NOT BECOME JEALOUS OF OUR BLESSINGS NOR WILL THEY REJOICE AT OUR SUFFERINGS.
3. GOOD FRIENDS WILL BE EVEN MORE CLOSER AND FAITHFUL THAN OUR FAMILY MEMBERS. WE MUST RECIPROCATE THEIR FRIENDSHIP MUTUALLY TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN SUCH FRIENDSHIP
4. GOOD FRIENDS WILL WARN US AND REBUKE US FOR OUR OWN GOOD WHEN WE GO ASTRAY , LIKE THE SERVANTS OF NAAMAN DID WHEN HE WAS ABOUT TO TAKE A WRONG DECISION.
5. GOOD FRIENDS WILL GIVE US GOOD ADVICE AND VALUABLE COUNSEL WHICH WILL ENRICH OUR LIVES.
6. GOOD FRIENDS WILL HELP US IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE. WE MUST TREASURE SUCH FRIENDSHIPS AND NOT LOSE THEM.
7. GOOD FRIENDS WILL REMAIN TRUE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION , LIKE DAVID WAS TO JONATHAN AND HIS DESCENADANTS
C. BAD FRIENDS
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1. BAD FRIENDS WILL BE UNGODLY AND WILL LEAD US AWAY FROM GOD AND HIS BLESSINGS. WE MUST NOT HAVE INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP WITH UNGODLY PEOPLE. HOWEVER WE MUST BE LOVING TOWARDS EVERYONE AND NOT ADOPT A SELF RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE.
2. BAD FRIENDS WILL NOT BE TRUSTWORTHY AND WILL BETRAY US LIKE JUDAS BETRAYED JESUS
3. BAD FRIENDS WILL GIVE BAD ADVICE WHICH WILL RUIN OUR LIVES LIKE THE FRIENDS OF REHOBOAM , AMNON AND HAMAN DID TO THEM
4. BAD FRIENDS WILL NOT HELP US IN THE TIME OF NEED AND THEY WILL AVOID US AND DESERT US IN OUR TIME OF SUFFERING , LIKE THE FRIENDS OF JOB DID TO HIM
5. BAD FRIENDS WILL NOT REMAIN TRUE AND WILL OFTEN TURN INTO ENEMIES . THEY WILL BE UNGRATEFUL , LIKE THE ISRAELITES WHO WERE UNGRATEFUL TO THE FAMILY OF GIDEON.
6. BAD FRIENDS WILL BE FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS AND THEY WILL ASSOCIATE WITH US ONLY WITH A SELFISH MOTIVE
7. BAD FRIENDS WILL HAVE BAD QUALITIES LIKE ANGER AND SLANDER AND DIVISIVENESS THAT WILL DESTROY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS
THE MESSAGE
GOD’S FRIENDS - GOOD FRIENDS - BAD FRIENDS : INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY MUSINGS
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A. GOD’S FRIENDS
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1. WE BECOME GOD’S FRIENDS WHEN WE OBEY HIS COMMANDS AND THEN WE WILL RECEIVE HIS REVELATIONS LIKE ABRAHAM DID AND WE WILL LIVE A FRUITFUL LIFE AND GET ANSWERS TO ALL OUR PRAYERS. JESUS IS OUR BEST FRIEND BECAUSE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US AND PROVED HIS LOVE TOWARDS US.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from
my Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit�â€fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my
name.
Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.
For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that
the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
