Sermon Tone Analysis

Today we are going to talk about friendship.

Friends are an important thing throughout Scripture.

We see Abraham described as a friend of God.

Jesus called His disciples friends.

Jesus is described as a friend of sinners and the relationship between believers is referred to by John as a friendship.

If we think about it, our friendships can be an act of worship to God.

David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit say unity and friendship as such an important thing he included it in the book of Songs Israel would use in worship for centuries to come.

Friendship is a wonderful thing.

The CSB doesn’t do this statement justice.

Hear it in the NASB

The friends we choose and the type of friends we are can shape who we are as people.

The language David uses in his opening line shows just how rare a genuine friendship is!

It is something to be beheld and imitated.

Behold!

How good!

How pleasant!

What kind of friend is the Lord calling me to have and to be?

How can we be friends brought together in unity?

A friend who lays down his life

Why would Jesus add, “if you do what I have commanded you”?

Friends are proved not just by words but by actions.

It is important to point out as well that the people Jesus calls friends, the ones He lays down His life for, were in fact His enemies.

Gospel love is the only thing that can turn an enemy into a friend and thankfully it was that love that Jesus demonstrated for us on the cross.

A friend who lays down their sinful desire

A friendship with the world means enmity with God

Fruit of friendship with the world: Anger, coveting, strife, quarreling, unpleasant speech, immorality (How do each of these effect friendship)

Sometimes we become so concerned about how we can fit in with the world around us we forget about how we can fit into God’s redemptive story.

A friendship unified in Christ is a very good and pleasant thing

Friendship with God means time spent with Him in Scripture and conversation

Friendship with God means beginning to look like Him

Fruit of friendship to God: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (Talk about how each of these effects friendships

James understands that we have been poor friends to God and to others around us.

He calls us to repent, turn from our sin, and put our desires in Christ.

As we learn to be good friends we need to cleanse our hands, mourn, weep.

There needs to be a season of humility where we realize we need to grow and change in our friendships.

Nobody here is a perfect friend.

Not to God and not to those around us.

It is a healthy thing being able to take a step back and constructively work on our relationships.

A friend who stays through thick and thin

We all need friends that can be there for us when we go through difficult circumstances.

If you look at the story of Job, he went through incredible loss.

As he sat their mourning his family and mourning his condition, his friends showed up.

Job’s friends condemned him and were not comforting to Job in his adversity.

He needed good friends to encourage him and help him, not to be critical of him.

A friend is made by the things they have in common

“Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden).

The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What?

You too?

I thought I was the only one."

... It is when two such persons discover one another, when, whether with immense difficulties and semi-articulate fumblings or with what would seem to us amazing and elliptical speed, they share their vision - it is then that Friendship is born.

And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude.”

If there is any truth in this quote by C.S. Lewis, that means we as Christians should be the deepest of friends.

If friendships are brought together by two people sharing something in common we as Christians who were all dead in our sin until Christ freed us and gave us new life should have everything in common.

All of us from different families, different backgrounds, different talents and abilities all brought together under one banner.

This type of relationship was used to describe the early church in Acts chapter 2

It wouldn’t take long for there to be conflict and disagreements, but for a moment the church was focused on Christ and what He had accomplished in their lives.

This is the goal of the church as a body.

To be unified and indivisible.

Focused on Christ and Christ crucified.

Charles Spurgeon in his commentary on the Psalms says that Christian friendships are a blessing when they are united in opinion, affection, and duty.

When we begin to think, love and act like Christ there is nothing that can stop the church in its mission.

Precious Oil

A friend that brings honor and consecration

Oil had several uses in ancient Israel.

For David it was what Samuel used to recognize him as king.

Oil was used in Exodus 29 to consecrate Aaron and the priests into service to Israel.

CONSECRATION—the devoting or setting apart of anything to the worship or service of God.

Within the ceremony of consecration for the high priest, oil was used on the head.

Ceremonially there needed only to be a ceremonial sprinkling of oil.

Yet, David here describes the oil being poured out over Aaron’s head.

The blessings of a unified friendship are this way.

They aren’t sprinkled conservatively in our lives, the blessings of friendship are poured out and run into every aspect of our lives, from Aaron’s beard to his shoulders.

Friendships are earthly symbols of an eternal reality

Aaron a symbol of God’s relationship with man.

Here is Aaron serving as priest and intercessor to God on behalf of the people.

For David that was a beautiful thing.

Here is the God of the universe having a relationship with His people through Aaron.

Fast forward to today, we have no need for Aaron.

We have a friendship with God and can go to Him directly.

Have you ever viewed your relationships as a symbol for your relationship with Jesus?

I think about this a lot when it comes to my marriage.

Paul in Ephesians talks about the relationship with a man and his wife in comparison to Christ and His bride the church.

Just as the church follows Christ wives are called to submit to their husbands.

Likewise, just as Jesus loved the church and gave His life for the church husbands are called to love and lay down their lives for their spouse.

If our marriages are symbols of our relationship with Christ could it be that our friendships are as well?

The way we laugh, and share our insecurities, and care for our friends.

Could it be that that is a picture of what we could have with Christ and will have with Christ for all eternity?

If we begin to think through our friendships that way we will find that we don’t know how to be friends at all.

What if my friendships were reflections of my friendship with Christ?

Would we talk about the same things?

Would we make the same jokes?

What if my friendship with Christ was like my friendship with people?

Would I spend more time in prayer talking with God? Would there be more joy in my relationship with Him?

Good friends lift up and respect

There is great honor and privilege that comes with being called friend.

It is a position that holds great significance.

There is a level of trust that needs to be maintained and a need for support and affection.

We often talk about the words we use.

Our words can build others up or tear them down.

As friends we should use our words constructively to be a blessing and source of encouragement to others around us.