Friendships Matter

Who do you Hang out with?

Guilty by association

The same is true for us, but really what we see is that we start to become like the people that we hang around

We are not called to be chameleons

Psalm 1:1–2 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

walks not. The words counsel, way, and seat are drawing attention to thinking, behaving, and belonging. A lifestyle with these kinds of people.

You also see three ways that this starts. Walks, stands, and then sits. With walking your moving, and it is easy to move out of. Standing you are still, and so easy to keep standing, and then sitting is a final spot. Typically when someone sits, they are there for a while right?

So the psalmist says that blessed is the man who does the opposite of these things.

Psalm 1:3–4 ESV

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

The man who does not do those things is like a tree. What does anyone know about how trees live?

They dig deep roots to get what? Water. From what I can see, it is not a mistake that God made everything on this earth dependent on water, and then Jesus calls Himself the living water. We need Jesus

But as we keep going, trees are planted and dig deep roots to keep from falling over yes, but to get as much water is possible. If you ever find yourself in the wilderness and there do not look to be a lot of trees around, there is not a lot of water there. You will see a lot of tumbleweeds, but not a lot of water.

When we choose to walk in the way of the wicked, it is like trying to plant roots in dry and dead soil. We may live for a little bit, but we will not last long.

1 John 1:5–7 ESV

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

We have fellowship with each other when we walk in the light with one another.

Who we spend time with matters.

If someone were to look at your friend group right now, without knowing you, would they think that you are a Christian?

Are your friends pushing you closer to Jesus?

Are you pushing your friends closer to Jesus?

What needs to change in the relationships in your life?

The Bible does not say to ignore lost people, but rather to show them Jesus; how are you pointing the lost to Jesus right now?

When was the last time you shared the gospel?