The Dearest Friend I Ever Had
Notes
Transcript
Opening
Opening
It’s so wonderful to be here in church at Hornet. Such a wonderful presence of the Lord we have felt here tonight. amen?
I want to go give honor to your Pastor Bro Holden. He has been such a pillar in our movement and I’m thankful for his ministry. I was pretty young but I still remember him preaching the fire down at Etown camp up where I’m from years ago. And I can remember the Lord using your pastor to really help our young folks. I just want to say I’m so thankful for him sharing his pulpit and giving us the opportunity to minister to this wonderful church. I am humbled and honored, bro Holden.
But if you have your Bibles you can be turning to Luke chapter 7.. Luke chapter 7
While you’re turning I also want to say Im thankful for Bro Trey and sis malita. They have become good friends of ours and I’m so grateful for their influence in our lives. And just appreciate the whole Holden family such a wonderful family. Y’all have all been so good to my family over the years and I just want to give y’all honor.
If you have Luke chapter 7 would you stand to reverence the reading of the word of the Lord
Luke 7:34 (KJV 1900): 34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
I want to preach tonight if the Lord will help us on “The dearest Friend I Ever had”.. “The dearest Friend I Ever Had”
Prayer
Prayer
Intro
Intro
We read here in our text where folks are talking about Jesus and they are speaking out against him saying “this man who is trying to teach us the scriptures and who claims to be the Son of God he is eating with publicans and sinners”
“He is a Friend of publicans and sinners”
And I find it interesting that they meant this as a slander. They meant to cut him by saying these things.
“looks at this man who acts so holy yet look at those he associates with”
Aww but aren’t you thankful tonight that Hes a Friend to the broken?
Aren’t you thankful that you don’t have to be squeaky clean
You don’t have to be Perfect to come to Jesus ?
I like what Jesus said when the Pharisees started to pry at him
in Luke 5 they said “Why do you and your disciples eat with publicans and sinners?”
And I like this He said “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
I know they meant to hurt him by calling him a friend to sinners
I know they meant to disrespect him
but I’m thankful that While we yet sinners..
Christ loved us
Christ was a friend to us
And I’ve got good news for the folks here at Hornet
If you don’t know him tonight or you’ve forgotten how good he’s been been
I’m here to introduce the Dearest Friend I’ve ever had!
Best Friends
Best Friends
We all have had a best friend at some point or another
I remember having a best friend in grade school. We were inseparable . We were tight. We were best friends. But I left that school at 8th grade and now I barely even know him. Someone who I felt like would always be there. Our lives changed we went different directions and because of that we went from best friends to acquaintances that see each other every now and then and we barely speak. People change. Our lives change.
But I’m here to tell about a friend that is the same yesterday today and forever.
Im here to tell you about a friend that will never leave you nor forsake you.
When your world is shaking
When your best friend can’t pick up the phone
When all those you thought were close to you have started talking behind your back
When your like Job and all your friends have forsaken you
When you need somebody to come through just in the nic of time
I want to you meet this dear friend of mine!
Brother as Friend
Brother as Friend
What about family?
It’s hard to beat the bond that is formed between brothers
Bro Trey and Bro Trevor I’m sure y’all always have had the tightest of bonds and y’all never ever fought each other..
Story about me and my brother and Jordan Losic and his brother
I would fight for my brother and he would fight for me.
Proverbs 17:17 (KJV 1900)
And a brother is born for adversity.
A lot of folks see that verse and talked about oh brothers are just meant to fight each other. Boys will be boys they're just going to be fighting.
But what this verse here is saying is that brothers were born to help each other through adversity. When you get a bit older you begin to understand this. I used to get in knock down drag outs with my brother.
I knocked his two front teeth out. I hit him in the head with a mini baseball bat. I hit a softball and it hit him in the eye socket. None of these were intentional… well most of these weren’t intentional
But they happened when me and my brother had adversity. But now that I’m older I can see that when im going through something, hes gonna be there when the going gets rough.
And if he was going through something you better believe I’d be right beside him fighting his battle for him
But as much as I would fight for my brother and I believe he would fight for me the bible says
Proverbs 18:24 (KJV 1900)
And there is a friend…that sticketh closer than a brother.
And even when family can’t be there for you
When it seems like your very own have let you down
Or maybe they’ve done absolutely all that they can do for you
He’ll be there right beside you
He’ll never let you down
the Bible said He’ll stick closer to you than even a brother will
He the dearest friend…
Spouse as Friend
Spouse as Friend
What about a Spouse?
I love my wife dearly
She is the best thing that ever happened to me
We are expecting our first child and it’s gone be here in November and I couldn’t be more excited
She keeps me in line and she keeps me humble
But I know that whatever I go through we said for better or for worse and I know she’ll be right by my side no matter what
We’ve been married for 3 years next week
But even in our short marriage there have been times I have not had the answers for her
When the Devil was attacking her mind with anxiety attacks and mind battles and I didn’t know what to say
I didn’t know what do to or how to handle it or see a doctor
All I knew to do is the turn the dearest friend I’ve ever had
And we turned it over to him
and I remember many nights pleading the blood of Jesus over my precious wife
I couldn’t handle it on my own but… my Friend could
This Friend of mine knew just what to do
He knew just how to help
He would always show up right on time
Kelsey has a great testimony of being delivered from those attacked
And praise God I believe it’s been well over a year without one
But we had to turn it over
But I’m not here to talk about how good of friend my spouse is… I’m here to tell you about my dearest friend.
How to be a good friend
How to be a good friend
Feeling good. Good friends say nice things to each other. ...Supporting each other. ...Love the differences. ...Be a good listener. ...Be a trustworthy friend. ...Maintain respect and respectful boundaries. ...Give them your time. ...Reciprocal connection.
A good friend: is there for you, no matter what. ...Listen to your friends. ...Get the facts. ...Ask them what they need. ...Physically show them you care. ...Keep in touch. ...Tell them how you feel. ...Be willing to make a tough call.
James 4:4 (KJV 1900)
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Close
Close
In Matthew he was a friend to a tax collector
in John he was a friend to an adulteress
on the cross he was a friend to a dying thief
And I’m here to tell you
No matter what you’re going through
No matter what you’re facing
No matter how hard the devil is attacking your family
Jesus will be the dearest fried you’ve ever had
He'll be a Doctor and a Lawyer(Jesus)
He'll be a friend when your friendless(Jesus)
He'll be your Mother when your motherless(Jesus)
He'll be your bread when you're hungry(Jesus)
He'll be a comfort when you're lonely(Jesus)