What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Notes
Transcript
As you all know, this week I was at 4-H camp and while it was 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. days. I was tired and completely run down, but I thought back to a few things that I was able to accomplish this week. One thought in particular was being able to speak some words of peace to campers that had never been away from home, to those who may have had a scrape or bump and needed comfort, speaking words of comfort. Speaking truth to those that may have gone a little astray. But one of the neatest things I have the opportunity to do is see many of these campers start their first year in fourth grade and grow into mature teens leading others.
While they are maturing, though, one thing I was reminded of is they are still kids. One conversation this week stuck with me, when a teen I have had the privilege to watch grow was having a hard day. Reality was setting in, realizing his friends were seniors and would not be back this coming year and he would be a senior next year. If we all think back, I am sure we can remember when the reality of life smacked us between the eyes, just as it did this young man. But, knowing this young man gave me an opportunity to speak to him about the maturity I have seen grow in him, and how proud I was of him - not only as a counselor, but as a young man and as a brother in Christ.
Yesterday, I was getting propane for the picnic this afternoon and I went back to get my phone and saw I had a message from one of my neighbors. I called back and he had an issue on the farm, so I went and visited with him, and of course he was upset over the damage that had been done. But as we talked, we were able to just take a moment and work through everything and there was hope I could provide, even though it looked bad. Then we spent the next hour or so just fellow-shipping with each other, and as the Holy Spirit allowed us to just have a moment, I found us not talking about the issues on the farm but instead talking about our Lord and Savior. When I left, we both knew the Lord had just put us together for a few minutes and we were able to bear witness with each other.
It’s humbling when we are able to be a part of someones life and to be called a friend. Even scripture tells us that “17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
But then I started thinking, there wasn’t one thing I had done that Jesus had not done for me. There have been times when I have had doubts, fears, uncertainties, frustration, anger, and we can go on with the emotions we have when life gets us down…but Jesus has never let me down. In the book of Luke, Jesus even warns us that there will be times like this in our lives but also gives us hope.
34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
As Jesus is teaching about the end time and His return, He tells us that the things of the world will weigh us down and it is when we focus on the things of this world that we can fall into traps that will lead us down wrong paths and cause us to fall. When we fall, then we think less of ourselves and a downward spiral begins. But Jesus reminds us we are to guard against these type things, and to place our eyes on Him, praying for strength and to not be unprepared when life hits.
You see, God loves and cares for those who are His. He will place people in our lives who will encourage us during difficult times. Now, what is hard is to find true friends. Many people are fair-weather friends, there during the good times, but nowhere to be found when there are bad times. Job found this out when he was facing troubles in his life. His “friends” heard of the bad things going on and went to visit with him.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.
Notice the motive for their going to Job - to show him sympathy and comfort him. Now, that’s what friends do. They even started off on a good foot - Job 2:13
13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
Sometimes it’s best to just sit and listen, as there is nothing we can do or say that will make things better. But they couldn’t be satisfied with that, they had to try to help “fix” Job’s problems. The Paul Harvey moment is found in Job 16:2 where Job points out they were miserable comforters.
2 “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all.
We all have been there trying to comfort someone, or have received this kind of “comfort” before. We are human, and even though we try our best to be good friends, there are times when we will fail. But…there is a friend in which we can turn to that will never fail us, never give us bad advice, and never lead us wrong, and that friend is Jesus, and Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus.
Jesus Calls Us Friends
Jesus Calls Us Friends
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Notice there is a condition on friendship with Jesus. Do what I command you. You see, we must be willing to befriend Him, so that He can be a friend to us.
We all have known people who are “friends” as long as they are getting something out of the friendship, but can’t be found any other time. That is not true friendship, but is instead selfish.
Now, if we think of the relationship we desire to have with Jesus, how many of us are concerned more with what Jesus can do for us that what we can do for Him? If we truly think about it, what has He already done for us? He left the splendor of Heaven, lived a life on earth full of ridicule, doubting, back-stabbing, back talking, back biting, even plotting His murder. But Jesus tried to befriend all of those He came in contact with. Instead of meeting these attitudes with what “WE” would - retaliation and getting even, Jesus went to the cross for those opposing Him the same way He did for those who believed in Him.
Luke 23:34 (ESV)
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
That, is a true friend. Notice what Jesus requires of those of us who He calls friends - we must know and do His commandments. How do we know His commandments? We must read His Word and maintain a relationship with Him. We have to know what He says in order to know who He truly is and how to become His friend. You see, friendship requires communication - we share and respond to one another, lifting one another up, and giving a helping hand when needed. Friendship, clearly, is then based off of the relationship we have with Him. You see, it is through the relationship we have with Jesus that we can truly know the will of God through the Word of God.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus is the Word of God, so to have a relationship with the Father, we must have a relationship with the Son. Why? Because God loves us and desires to have a relationship with us.
A Friend Sacrifices
A Friend Sacrifices
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
If we go back into the third chapter of John, there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night, asking questions of Jesus. In his heart, He knew who “he” thought Jesus was - a teacher sent from God.
But listen to me closely - it is not who we “think” Jesus is that matters. We have to KNOW who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Just like Nicodemus, it wasn’t enough just to believe - scripture tells us even the demons believe and tremble - but we have to be born again. You see, friendship requires a commitment. Jesus was willing to commit His life to our salvation.
You see, in describing salvation to Nicodemus Jesus reminds Him it’s not enough to just have head knowledge, but we must have heart knowledge too.
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
It was believing in Jesus as Savior that would give him the eternal life he desired.
When we look at the familiar verses in John 3:16 Jesus leads with “for”. This simple word assigns a reason Nicodemus - and all of us from that time forward - must believe in Jesus as not just a teacher, but as our Savior.
God so loved the world - all of this world IS God’s creation. Spoken into existence with His voice. Formed with His own hand. Given His breath of life. God intended mankind to be different from the angels who were created to worship God for eternity. Mankind was created to have a RELATIONSHIP, a FRIENDSHIP with God. You see, God created us differently. He loved His creation, and desired the best for us. But, He also created us with free will - the inherent choice to follow Him. God would not force Adam and Eve to follow Him, just the same as today He does not force us to follow Him - it is by our own choice. But He gives us the choice, and provided a way for redemption even though we let Him down.
God knew that sin separated us from Him eternally. Our spiritual bond was broken, but it was not irreparable. He gave His only begotten Son. Many translations will leave out begotten, but I think it is important for us to understand - it was His one and only Son. You see, God doesn’t ask anything of us that He is not willing to do Himself. Just as He asked Abraham to offer His son Isaac - the one in whom He had prayed for and had been promised. Isaac, being the promised one mean he was the only one of his kind - the only-born one, the only begotten. Jesus, being the promised one means he, too, was one of His kind. He was the only one who could be our Savior. God loves us so much that He acted on His love for us that He sent the only one He could, Jesus, as a way for our relationship, our friendship with Him, to be restored. Love requires action and expression - He demonstrated His love for us through Jesus.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
That whoever believes in Him - God did not put a limit on who He extended salvation to. It is not for a few chosen, not for one particular group, but “whoever”.
Those “whoever’s” are given this promise, if WE believe in Him, we will not perish, but have eternal life. The word for perish, here, refers to spiritual death - the eternal separation from our Creator and our Savior. Other ways this word has been translated is “destroyed or lost”. Think of this closely, without salvation, we are lost - separated from God, and our spiritual purpose - the reason God created us from the beginning - to have that relationship and friendship with Him is destroyed for eternity. But…it doesn’t have to be that way IF we believe in Him. You see, it is through that belief, INTENTIONALLY CHOOSING TO PUT OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS AS SAVIOR, that the friendship can be restored and eternal life is our reward. No longer lost, no longer on the path to destruction, but restored!
Praise God for this inclusion and all “whoever”has to do is believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the only begotten, sent as the substitute for our sins, our Savior! The price of our sin has been paid for through the price paid by Jesus on the cross IF we believe in Him! WHAT a friend we have in Jesus!
Hallelujah, we are even given a reason why Jesus was sent to us. Not to condemn us, not to show us we could never live up to God’s standards, but instead of receiving what we deserve - eternal spiritual separation from the Father - through Him we might be saved. And thank God it doesn’t come with a bunch of “used car contract stipulations”, but once we accept Him as Savior we are forever His.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus. Once He is a friend, He is a friend indeed for life and NOTHING will separate us from Him.
Closing
Closing
God demonstrated His love for us. Now, how do we demonstrate our love for Him? Are we willing to be the same type of friend to Jesus, as He desires to be with us?
Are we allowing the things of the world to weigh us down and keep us from believing in Jesus as our Savior and friend?
Are we like Job’s friends, just waiting for the opportunity to tell Jesus all the things that are wrong and accuse Him of being the reason for our failures and shortcomings?
Do we refuse to do what has been commanded of us? Are we more willing to look to our own understanding that we are to turn to God? Do we want to be a “fair-weather” friend, only believing in Him when things go our way?
Or, do we choose to be a friend to Jesus? Turning our lives completely over to Him as our Savior? I mean, how many of us has any other friend that is willing to lay their lives down for us just because they don’t want to see us suffer? That, truly, is a friend indeed. Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus!
Today, are you willing to believe in Him, receive eternal life, and become the friend He so desires you to be with Him?
If you desire for Jesus to be your Savior and your friend, you can confess to Him your sins and ask Him to forgive you, come into your life, and save you from death and receive eternal life.