April 10, 2016 - Friends

I'm so glad you guys are enjoying greeting one another. It seems like some waves. There's not even time to just slow down and say hi. To our friends and even our family sometimes. Leanne and I feel like the past eight or 10 months have potentially been maybe one of the busiest seasons of our entire life's about the only thing that comes close as when I think about the season in which I was working on a doctoral dissertation in completing that degree in when I first started my program, they said 70% of people who start a program don't complete. I thought that's crazy. And then when I got into the last year of trying to finish that up, I thought I completely understand this and I was ready to throw it all in a barrel and just light it on fire and be done with it. The crazy level of busyness and the past eight months has reminded me of that constant sense of busyness that we felt during that degree where we were just non-stop busy. Can anybody relate to Seasons in your life where you feel that kind of Breakneck speed everything you're doing and you just don't I don't know that I've sat down and had time to Anchor greeter do anything positive or good like that? Recently, I was going through some photos and I took her a staycation. We took some time off and didn't go anywhere State home try to catch up and catch our breath. I'm not successfully clicking here, but that's probably user error. That's my brother would say to me. There we go. I came across this photo as we had a little bit of time to slow down and and I was going through some old photos and that's from Leona's wedding. This year is our 25th wedding anniversary.

So be sure and give Leanne your condolences because she's smiling like that because she didn't know what the future held say. She did she did know me that well yet and I have that look on my face that says I can't believe she said yes, I can't believe she said yes. Just coming across that on photo and seeing her smiling like that. Just to be honest reminded me of how much I love her and how wonderful she is. And and and sometimes we get so busy that we can't forget that you know, we we are committed to each other. We we love each other. And so that pushes us through those busy times but slowing down every now and then it just spending some relax time together. That's just not nonstop. Suddenly. You start to remember again. Oh, yeah. I don't just love her but I like her too. She's she's she's fun to be around and and in that can happen with your kids that can happen with with other friendship. She kind of slow down and you're reminded. Oh, yeah. There's a reason I liked hanging out with this person. It's it's a good thing. It's interesting this verse that Jesus shares in John 15 to his disciples at a time when when when they're together and spending last precious time together and and kind of having some intimacy. He says look, I no longer call you slaves or servants because a master doesn't confide in his slaves now you are my Friends, since I have told you everything the father has told me. And that amazing. The Jesus would say here's the word to describe our relationship. It's no longer servant and master. It is friend. The Jesus would share with his disciples and threw them in that passage share with us that were invited into friendship with Jesus. That's interesting because I think if we slow down and we think about what it means to have friends and be friends that can be very instructive in our relationship with God in our Walking With Jesus because I think there's times in which maybe we get really busy or just maybe the way we think about relating to God we kind of don't think of it as friendship. There's times in which we slip into this feeling of unreality about our relationship with God and then we think of all I remember one time. I was on this Retreat and I just really felt close to God and oh, well that was then and this is now I'm committed to God and I ain't nothing but I'm not going to leave everything and I know he's going to leave me but I just kind of push through in the midst of life, but I miss that feeling of liking God and spending time with God and having that relationship can can anybody relate to that? And if you if you pause for a moment, you realize why might my life been at such a speed that I haven't really sat down and enjoyed the relationship. I have those amazing that Jesus says look don't think in terms of slave and master of Servicemaster. You are my friends because I've confided in you. The things that we know that are true Jesus use that word knowing that we had brains and his disciples had brains and knowing that we had relationships and knowing that we had friendships and knowing that we had certain assumptions in baggage in a good sense of that word thinking about what friendships are and what they mean. He chose that word intentionally and so the things that you and I know about friendships can inform our relationship with God it doesn't have to be this vague unreal thing. We're right I do the right thing, but it just didn't feel it can be the same sort of thing that he wanted it to be when he called his friends that we have with one another and with friends and so think about the things that we know about friendship our friendship with another grows through connection that is time spent together the sharing of our self and mutual commitment. That's how friendships grow went went when you grow a friendship with somebody it's because you make some sort of connection and you end up spending time together. It could be a co-worker. It could be the next door neighbor. He could be some girl that you meet in college 25 years ago that you hit it off with and suddenly you start spending time together. I don't know how many hours I sat in the hallway, right Outside Lands dorm room and we would sit and talk there it was and we couldn't I couldn't go in her room is Christian College so they had good rules. So we did have sitting in the hallway right outside her dorm room door and just chatting for hours now we're spending time together and that's how you been you build a friendship and you share about your to tell your history you tip for my dad wants and this what happened to me and I've got a little brother and you all these things that you end up sharing with one another you build this friendship and you end up going deeper as you have a mutual commitment. Maybe you both love sports or maybe you both love serving those in need and so you end up sharing and activity you build friendships that way it's not rock. But we don't often pause and sit and think about what makes a friendship work. We just kind of take them for granted and they're in our life those same principles. I believe work in our friendship with Jesus our friendship with Jesus grows through connection time, spent together sharing of our self and mutual commitment and really the whole passage that leads up to verse 15 where he says the disciples. I've called you friends don't think master-servant anymore realize I'm calling you friend that whole passage verses 1 through 15. That's what it's all about. Repeatedly juices. Look, I want you to abide in me. I am the vine you are the branches that's an illustration of a relationship Jesus the Same to his disciples and the key is for you to abide in me to to dwell with beef to hang out with me to spend time with me. That's what he's calling the disciples to this sort of friendship. And so then he says I'm calling you friends. Do you get it we abide together. We love each other and in the way that abiding in that love relationship will be safe is in your Read it in your responding to me. The things that I'm asking you to do that sort of mutual commitment will be part of what grows that relationship. So on a practical level. We talk sweet we're hearing from God in the buy-in are Bible readings were talking with God In Prayer Works pressing love and trust and obedience. And I know that sounds simple but sometimes I think it's good to slow down and say oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I need to find a little time in my day in my weekend to enjoy the presence of the Lord and the relationship that he's provided. My sins are covered the things that would normally prevent me and Unholy person and some of my actions by being in the presence of a holy God. Those things have been provided by Christ on the cross and God stands at the door knocks is revelation. 3:20 says averse directed the Christian. We always think of it as non-Christian when you read the contacts. It's a verse directed to Christians behold. I stand at the door and not anyone who opens the door. I will come in and have supper with him. God is longing for us to slow down and spend some time with him and we can do that by reading our Bible hearing from him. I've been in common prayer confiding in him sharing with him by expressing our love to him through obedience. And I've got a close friend in Tennessee that we've been friends for all I even hate to say the number of years very close friend and we met together weekly 4 years, maybe thirteen years in a row we met together weekly and we pray for each other spend time together make jokes and he's he's the kind of guy I can call at 3 in the morning and say it's okay. I can't play anything but I'm in jail. I need you. I need you to show up right now. Not a question asked he would choose the kind of guy I could trust completely. You know, I guess I look I need you to go to this address and punch the guy right in the nose. You got it buddy on each other, but see I moved away. Move the way to do that dumb doctoral degree moved away to teach moved away to Lexington, but guess what? We are still friends. We can still talk on the phone. We can even FaceTime we can send each other e-mails we can send each other. Hey, this is a great link. You're going to love this sermon or you should read this book. We can we can build that friendship and continue that French of the same way you and I can do it with God week we can read the Bible as time with God we can read the gospel since I filed this is this is this is making a joke here about Herod that Sly Fox and he's kind of making a wink wink joke about her and all of his and that's kind of funny and look at this moment. We're Jesus shows such great compassion. That is heart is got there. Just turn when he sees the crowd says they're like sheep without we can spend time with him learning about him. We can confide we can pray call out then we can build that friendship, even though in some ways. We feel like it's long distance sometimes but we do that in other relationships our friendship with others grows deeper as we express our care and our love both in word and actions right or noticed in your history of friendships at some point. They go to a deeper level and it's usually because somebody in that relationship takes the step to raise it of our right You have a friend in your friends and you like him to get along but at some point they surprise you maybe they show up at work because you would casually mention to them that work stinks this week, but nothing's fine about work and they surprised you went to the show up and what are you doing here taking you to lunch? That little action not just words. I hate that works hard for you this week. But actions that they went that extra step suddenly that takes the Friendship to a new level, right? It's one thing for a spouse to say, I love you to the other spouse. But what happens when the doorbell rings at home or at the office somebody comes carrying balloons or flowers or candy who's it from?

Strengthen sand and secure. Is it raises the bar on that relationship? That's how friendships work, right we go beyond just a certain level and when we express maybe it maybe it's a conversation. We wait we've been friends of summer for a while. We just a look if I haven't said it. I really appreciate you. I mean Beyond a certain times in this past year and I thought you know, I don't know if I can make it but then you sent me an email or text or call and I've just laughter I've done something. Maybe it's just that Mom when you sit down you to say that person. I really appreciate. That takes that friendship to new level and it's the same thing in a relationship with God our friendship with Jesus grows deeper as we express our care in our lives both in words and actions and again in those first 15 Vs. That's what Jesus means when he says you're my friend if you keep my Commandments, it's hot. I'm committing you to love one another the way I love the father and I'm close to him to as you love one. Another you'll be close to me in the father will have this Fellowship together. He's saying look when you express it through obedience in love phrases that relationship to home reliable. It's not this if you don't obey I'm not being friends with you, but that's the wrong Spirit who would have that kind of thinking about friendship. I want you to abide with me. None of us would ever take that tone with each other, right? If you don't do things that I like if we don't go to the restaurant I like are you actually just unravel a friendship anymore? It's that Jesus is describing to the disciples. He's describing what it's like you abide with me and I abide with you and we have this Mutual commitment to one another and you do the things that I ask you to do and you love me and you love one another and you will be and that keep securing the friendship on and on even spouses. Obey each other. Don't we see we've loaded the word obey with so much negativity. It doesn't have that negativity in the scriptures really twisted the scriptures in our culture Ephesians 5 says submit Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ Ephesians 5:21 when Paul starts disgusting what a Christian husband and wife's relationship will be like, he says let me tell you the very first thing it will be like is you are both followers of Jesus Christ. And because Jesus is your lord you will submit to one another out of reverence for who Jesus is I don't want a good healthy relationship you end up a bang each other. It's not a negative thing, right? Hey, can you pick this up on Tuesday? I'll be on that side of town. I'll make sure I pick that up and don't forget we have that. You said you'd be you have those conversations where you're just confirming because you're mutually committed to one other son a negative thing you love each other. You're happy to see the other succeed. You're happy to support the other person. I don't think when Paul was talking in that passage or what scripture talks about it that it automatically infuses obey with the negativity that we have with it. This is just a little bit of the side, but think about it when he talks about leadership. It's the same sort of thing. The disciples want to say time going to be on your right side or left side and we're going to be completely it's always washes the disciples feet at one point. It was the lord of the universe demonstrating his lordship buy washing the disciples dirty feet and he says it let me tell you when you're in charge when you're a leader when you're the boss. You will be the servant of the other. Man, if you really want to be the boss of your wife, you will serve your wife and to heck with this cultures Foster understanding this is what your real man. You'll just sit there and shake your tea glass and say that's what it is. Let's Be Heroes if you're following Christ, you have the confidence in the strength and the humility as you submit to Christ you submit to one another and Weiss the same way even in our culture, you know, you know and some people abused it in such a way that does give it a distaste to it and then say well that's what you know, I grew up with a dad who didn't know Jesus from a hole in the ground, but wanted to quote versus all the time. Well, Jesus says, I'm the boss that I wish I'd had the articulation if he's not your lord and savior, you can't reach in and claim scripture if you're not submitting to him. You can't demand that mom sent it to you if she submits to you which she often did she's doing it because of who Jesus is because she had a relationship with a man. She had the strength to love you out of who she was. That's What We R Who We Are because of Christ not because of everything else that comes across our plight and that's the challenge until when Jesus the Same look you obey me you keep my Commandments in the context of this love friendship where we know he's out for our own good he's out for what's best for us and we trust him right you don't Mike McKinney it is a position he's mine position and he knows more about medical things that I do and there could be situations when he would say do this and I may not understand it but if I need some medical attention guess what I'm going to do I'm going to trust Mike I'm going to trust that he knows more than I do and he's looking out for my best interest in a relationship of Christ he he knows a little more than we do right and he's looking out for our best interest and so we can love and Obey him in the context that friendship and it's a wonderful thing So think about it this way a little bit. Working at your friendship with God. Here's an assignment for this week work at your friendship with God as much as any other friendship you desire to grow deep and strong. Okay, so if you had a friend and you thought I really like that person and I know that they're wise and good and good person for me to be friends with your good for me. They challenged me to be the best that I can be there to pull me down. They build me up and they challenged me to be who God wants me to be I want that friendship to go deeper and stronger. What would you do you would work on it? When you make times that person can we have lunch you'd figure out how to have time together and you might hate you might realize they said they're going out of town this week and I'm going to go over their house and do that thing that they said they could not get down there so busy, so I'm not surprised then they'll come back and let lamp will be fixed or that yard of emo. You can go out of your way to do something for them because you like them and because you want to build that friendship. Johar level the same for us time in the word in prayer with Jesus I know about you, but sometimes I can slip into spending time with my Bible. You understand the difference? Sometimes my Bible study can become just that Bible study and my goal is to in that time knowing the Bible better to increase my biblical literacy. And so I spend time in the word and I think this is fascinating. I never knew that about that. What a great study all this person. So insightful can't wait till I'll be in a setting where somebody says what about this first and I guess they will actually going to be so smart and all because I learned that I can slip into spending time with my Bible as opposed to which Jesus Answer this week get your Bible open and spend some time with Jesus. read a few verses As time with him as a word from him as a story about something he did in the gospels that helps, you know him better spend some time with Jesus and in prayer, sometimes I can sleep in my prayer ends up being heard a story of a Preacher asking a boy if he prayed every night and he said no cuz I don't need something every night. And sometimes our prayers could just be when I've got a list of pray for that's when I pray it's almost like spending time with the Bible instead of Jesus we can spend time with our prayer let prayer list instead of actually spending time with God In Prayer. It's always you pray this week. Let it be some time with God. Would that be amazing if you took your list and your wants and you said those are secondary, what is prayer started not with us, but with God, what if someone wiser than us that here's how you pray. You say Our Father Who Art in Heaven? Allied be thy name what if your prayer started with is focused on God what if you could meet with God this week?

What if you could find just 30 minutes out of the week to get a loan and get quiet and open your Bible and be with Jesus? And get to know him a little better and pray to him that way what if you went out of your way this week to do something for God? I mean, I don't know that we can keep it from him, but we'll pretend let's all plan on reading your Bible this week.

As time with Jesus and praying this week as time with Jesus and let's all plan on doing something for God this week. That sound okay. Maybe we'll try to surprise him.

What could you do for God this week? Is there a child of his that you know is hurting and his heart breaks for them and you could be his hands and feet. You could take that person to lunch and just be a listening ear. Or you could take something by that person's house that they need and say the Lord just wanted me to do this. And one thing I love about Mexico is when we provide the homes for the families. We are abundantly clear. This is not from us. God is the one who has moved the hearts of people for these many years to build these homes and this is from God to you. That's abundantly clear to the family. They can't say well I sure do appreciate that organization. Thank those Americans for build me a home or think of more Ministries for Bill me at home. They make it clear. This is from God because we want them to realize God loves them and we weren't able to accountable to say goddamn build me a house. I got think about what that means that God loves me and he expressed his love to me this way. So go out of your way this week to do something for God. The same way you might spend send your wife flowers or you might surprise your husband with something. He wanted or you might just show up at a friend's work placing buy them lunch just to make their week little bit brighter go out of your way to do something intentionally, maybe something Secret. Maybe we can't keep it from God. Maybe we can keep it from one another in a good way. Maybe I don't have to say guess what I did then maybe I just between me and God I need to do something that I know he and it might be that I need to get along with him and confess him sin. Maybe what he want more than anything else is for me to spend some time with him and say I know I hadn't I hadn't made of this and I was wrong and I and I trust you. I want you to cleanse me, even if it's painful. I Want You to Help Me Grow because I trust you.

That's so, but let me add a couple of bonuses to preachers can hardly ever quit bonus one friendship is built through friendship and friendship is a relationship of trust in faith. And this is simple but sometimes I think sometimes we miss it you build friendship to acts of friendship. You understand what I'm saying? Sometimes we sit on our hands thinking. Well, I'll just wait till I know everything about God or I'll just wait till I understand the whole Bible or I'll just wait till I'm so full of faith that I'll take a step of faith and trust Jesus or spend time with him, but the reality is what builds that to a greater level is that first step of doing it, right? I mean, it's like me saying as soon as I get the strength as soon as I get in shape, I'm going to start exercising. Is it hotter than work and I have to start in the condition. I'm in which is not in shape. And then I have to start exercising in order to get in shape. But sometimes we think will soon as I get spiritually strong as soon as I know everything. I need to know my Bible then I'll start taking risk or taking steps. But that friendship that relation with God is built by taking those steps scripture is full of this principle James once is your brother's is your life full of difficulties in Temptations, then be happy when the way is rough your patients have a chance to grow. So let it grow and don't try to stay out of your problems for when your patience is finally in full bloom. Then you'll be ready for anything strong in ready for anything strong and character full end complete or Romans has the same sort of principle in it. We also have joy when are with our troubles because we know that these troubles produce patience and patience produces character and character produces hope and this hope will never disappoint us because God has poured out his love to feel our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit whom God has given to us or even Hebrews talks about Jesus, even though Jesus was God Son still learned obedience from the things he suffered. Not think it was Scott pack in the 80s who wrote a book that I never one classic line from that said he's amazed how many people really want to get to the end but they refuse to accept the fact that they have to go through the middle and that's just a common human nature and the reality is to get deeper in our friendship with God get deeper in our trust with him. We have to start trusting it. We can't get to that end without going through the middle and the middle is taking that first step. Maybe it's trusting him with our finances and and maybe it's trusting him of relationships. Whatever it is. You know what it is. You know what the next step is for you and that's the next step to Growing your faith in your relationship with God. Your friendship of God is going to grow through acts of friendship acts of faith notice to God has committed to your growth in relationship and friendship with him. Look at these versus later in John Jesus says, And I consecrate myself to meet their needs speaking of the disciples and you and I for growth in truth and Holiness just look the reason I'm doing these things is so that I can concentrate that my I can help them grow and truth and Holiness look at a fuse has one long ago, even before he made the world God chose us to be his very own do what Christ would do for us. He decided then to make us holy in his eyes without a single fault. We who stand before him covered with his love for the very beginning before the foundations of The World. God had predetermine. What I'm going to do is help us be like Christ help us grow in that friendship in that relationship in that intimacy with him. He's committed to that growth Philippians. I am quite confident Paul writes that the one who began a good work in you will go on completing it until the day of Jesus comes God is committed to that friendship that we were talking about Jesus. Is that friend you can count on no matter what? You know, I've got that friend, but to be honest there could be a time when I called him and he said look, I got three daughters and all three of them are throwing up right now. Am I watching the ER? We've got the worst and I can't do anything for you right now, or we can have a we can have a break in a relationship Human Relationships can have that we can misunderstand each other or just make each other angry and so we can be on break for a while. We're kind of cold or indifferent to each other and tell him cuz last time we talked I kind of made him mad and so we're kind of giving each other some space and I think Even though he's that friend that it's not going to be perfect in the plate every moment of our entire life. But Jesus is that friend you can count on no matter what and the cross is one of my many demonstrations of that fact that while we were yet sinners Paul says enrollment Christ died for us in the gospels. He says no one takes my life. I lay it down of my own accord. Jesus has demonstrated made it abundantly clear. that he was willing to die in order to not live without you and I That he was willing to die in order to cover our sins so that our sins and I Wrong this wouldn't keep us from him that that doesn't that the sins that we commit wouldn't be an obstacle anymore that he can cover them with his mother. He could cover them for our sake so that we could come to him. That was his agenda. That was his purpose. The Jesus is that friend that you can always count on no matter what but they have a scary games of Victory. Sometimes when we we Foster think well, I've got to get my act in order before I can come to Jesus. I've got to fix my own send problem before I can come to the Savior and tricks us into keeping our distance when Jesus is the answer. He is the solution he is the one who covers our sins so that we can be made holy he is the one who provides a way. So he's that friend that's there no matter what you'll even if you read the Psalms. Even allows us to say to him. I don't know what to think about you. I'm angry at you. I think I don't like you might even trustworthy. Why did this happen? Why was Israel Israel conquered? What is it allows us to come to him just as we are and he said friends that remains ever faithful and will always do what's best for us. Whether what's best for us is this gracious hug and embrace that says you're worrying about stuff that you don't need to worry about or if what's best for us is a harsh word of Correction or review we can trust him even when he confronts us and says that's it in your life and you need to turn away from it. We can trust his goodness and his character and that he's out for our best interest. He's that friend that's always for us always Force. Always for our best interest Hebrew says this and will end on this the worship team can come forward now. Paul says it in Hebrews for these are my favorite verses in scripture speaking these first three chapters in Hebrews in the beginning of chapter 4 about Christ as the ultimate priest really speaking to the Jewish people who would here and need to understand this but you guessing this moment in in Hebrews chapter 4 verse that sell then cuz he's made the case that Jesus is our high priest. So then we have a great high priest who has entered Heaven Jesus the son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe you talked about friends in high places. If you're worried about Connections and the priesthood, how do I cover my sins? What do I do Paula saying? Look, we have a high priest who is in heaven? There's no barriers between him and God the father. He's the son of God. He's right. There is no greater Authority right Philippians 2 every knee will bow every tongue confess weather in heaven or below heaven, but we are still out. There's no one else with greater Authority. And so if Jesus says it's so it's so a man He's Superior to my thinking. He's a beer to my brain. He Superior to my emotions and my heart be superior to every other human voice or teaching or women in history on the face of the Earth historically globally for the future. Jesus is the ultimate Authority and so pause. That's what this we have this height right high priest who is entered Heaven. Jesus is not God. Let us hold firmly believe I'm with Jesus baby. I'm holding firmly to that. That's what I believe. Jesus is Lord and Savior every knee will bow every tongue confess and I'm holding firmly to that holding firmly to that for my own good even from a selfish perspective. I'm cleaning the Jesus. I want to be with him. I want to be found with him. I want to be in him. I want to be I want his righteousness. Apparently. I don't want to try to make it on my own fault continues this high. Priest of ours understands our weakness for he faced all the same testing. We do you did not send and then a great addition. He's not just us. Amazing bold character who's in heaven that we have to grovel in sahiwal? I'm just going to hang on to his ankle and made it. He won't even notice. I'm here and I'll get drug into heaven instead Paul. Ask for that not only has the one whom every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess he is one who has been tempted in every way that we have and so he understands our weakness. He understands our weakness doesn't look down and say how can you do that again? Why are you how can you have those thoughts? Why are you that way? Why did you just lie to that person just to boost your ego a little bit. He doesn't let he that he's not human like us he's not limited by that quit judge. We were judging somebody else were completely oblivious to the times we potentially done that very same thing. I mean there I say that all of us would probably have to admit that at least once in our life we've lied. He was just a little white lie. Maybe the price we pay for something because we overpaid and we don't want look like an idiot. Oh, yeah, I got to go do on that. You know, we found out really got taken big time. How many things that we are tempted to point to another that are true about us Christ understands that Temptation yet without sin. I thought he doesn't look at the how can you why can you understand exactly how and why and he says come to me you need help. I know exactly what's going on. You need a savior. You need help you need love you need forgiveness you need correction, you need restraint instruction. You need rebuke you give us the word of God to do those things fall in those verses with this person 16. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God there. We will receive his mercy and we will find Grace to help us when we need it. Most Jesus. Is that friend that you can call upon no matter what? And you can go to him with confidence that he's that kind of friend and the you will receive the grace and the help that you need when you need it most he's the one you can call.

We're going to sing a song here in a moment. And if you have a decision to make during that song to to follow Christ or to join our church, I'll be in the back. You can come back and talk with me in private or pray with me. They'll be other. Team members both in the front and the back if you have a prayer need or after the service, if or Tuesday if it hit you that you got something on your mind or heart you can call me.

Let's let's bind the adversary from our thoughts and our minds and our lives when he tries to convince us that Jesus is the one that we cannot turn to. Somehow our sins are so great that we have to grovel and hide and stay hidden as Revelation says those who don't know the Lord called On The Rocks upon him because they're afraid of him. Jesus changes all that and gives us the invitation to call him our Lord and savior. our Lord and savior He's the one we can call on no matter what. Whether it's a failure in our own life. Whether a spouse leaves us. Are there are job falls apart? At what? It is Jesus is there we can call on him. No matter what. And he Longs for he stands at the door and Knocks. Will just open the door let him an he wants to come and fellowship with us. to build that ever-growing friendship what's a

please stand