Genuine Friendship

ILAGAN BAPTIST CHURCH SERMON OUTLINES

Genuine Friendship

Text: John 21:17-19 IBCSS April 27, 2008

Preacher: Pastor Jose B. Cabajar

Friends do not only add colors and depth to a monotonous life, but also brighten our souls and keep us singing even in our darkest night. Genuine friendship is a delightful wealth intimately enjoyed by two or more persons. True friends are hard to find and lasting friendship is a rare thing in our time. For such reason, true and strong friendship must then be treasured and protected.

The Lord Jesus Christ exemplified true friendship and His lasting friendship with truth-loving people was incomparable. His friendship with Lazarus was made deeper and stronger by love and care. It says in John 11:11, These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. (KJV) Other verses found in John 11:35-36 say, Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! (KJV) These verses show us emphatically the unquestionable friendship of the Lord with Lazarus. Truly, love is a vital ingredient in true friendship.

Seeing the guile-filled friendship and its heart-breaking results in the lives of many people today could trigger our heart to crave for wisdom in choosing friends and making lasting friendship with them. It takes intelligence to choose right friends in this sin-spotted world and choosing the Lord as our best Friend is an excellent choice.

Friendship with Jesus is not just for a span of time but eternal. True friends of the Lord are being manifested through their unquestionable obedience to His Word. In John 15:14, Jesus said, Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (KJV) May our friendship with the Lord becomes deeper and stronger so we could attract more people to come to Him for salvation.

As we study more about genuine friendship, the Bible is the right Book to open and to learn from. Surely, the benefit of our careful study will make us wiser in choosing friends and establishing Spirit-guided friendship for the glory of God.

(I) The Involvement Of Deep Commitment

John 21:17 I Samuel 18:1-4

Friendship without commitment will easily fade away. Many people find difficulty in maintaining their friends and developing meaningful friendship because they lack clear knowledge and understanding concerning genuine friendship. Friends may come and go from us if we neglect to realize the binding power of deep commitment.

-Be transparent

One important element in true friendship is being transparent to each one. Hypocrisy destroys good friendship. True friends must trust one another and have the assurance of fidelity among themselves.

In John 21:15-17, it is written, So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (KJV) These passages from the Bible indicate the unquestionable friendship of Peter and the Lord marked by transparency and responsibility.

(II) The Presence Of Sacrificial Attitude

John 15:13 (John 13:36-38) II Peter 1:14

-Triggered by pure love

John 21:18-19

A professing friend who could not do sacrificial act for his friend is not a real friend. In John 15:13, it is written, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (KJV) Love produces strong attachment in friendship. It also triggers a person to do sacrificial act for the sake of his friends. At Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated the importance and benefit of sacrificial act and He did it because of His unquestionable love for us. What a friend we have in Jesus. May our friendship be marked by sacrificial attitude set off by pure love.

(III) Its Existence In Times Of Uncertainties

I Samuel 20:4 20:13-17

The friendship of David and Jonathan was one of a kind. In I Samuel 18:1-4, it is written, And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. (KJV) Real friends are special people around our lives whom we cannot afford to lose especially in times of uncertainties.

-Over individual differences

Genuine friendship surfaces over floods of annoying differences. Individual differences are not demolishers of true friendship, but they come up to test and reveal real friendship. May our friendship be not conquered by our differences.

In I Samuel 19:1-6, it is written, And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain. (KJV) As we ponder in our hearts the wonderful friendship of David and Jonathan, may we treasure our friends in Christ because we know that God-fearing friends are the best friends we have in this world-friendly civilization.

-In time of death

A well-established friendship should not die when one friend goes in the way of the earth. In I Samuel 20:13-17, it says, The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father. And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. (KJV)

True friendship never dies, and that’s the kind of friendship which David and Jonathan have shared and enjoyed together. Christians must gain more godly friends and establish a well-nurtured friendship.

(IV) Its Long-range Effect

II Samuel 9:1-8

-True friendship produces overflowing kindness

The strength of friendship should not subside or diminish when a friend dies, but its kindness should overflow for the benefit of the loved ones of the deceased.

In II Samuel 9:1-8, it is written, And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? (KJV)

Genuine friendship is a blessing from above and that is simply the reason why the kindness of God is always present in such friendship. Genuine friendship with the Lord produces right friendship with other people and that’s the kind of friendship which David exemplified during his time.

We may be winning or losing friends today, but the question is: Do we have a Christ-like friendship to demonstrate in this truth-rejecting world? The kind of friendship we have with the Lord reveals our friendship with others.

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