Friends 2

Announcements

1: Follow us on socials.

We want to make sure that you are staying up to date with what we are doing as a ministry. We also want to give you ways to connect with us and be strengthened spiritually by following our social media accounts. Give us a follow on any of the three platforms that you may use: Instagram, Tik-Tok, and YouTube.

2: Friendsgiving.

Join us on (NOV 20 North) for our annual Friendsgiving event! We want to give you a chance to continue to make friends and connect with one another here at REVO Students! Show up for friendsgiving in your coziest thanksgiving attire and come ready to fellowship with friends, enjoy some dessert, join us in worship, and have a conversation about how we can be grateful for the friendships around us!

3: Advent reading.

On December 1st we are going to launch a REVO Students wide bible reading plan in preparation for the Christmas season. This is a 25 day reading plan that is going to take us through the Christmas story and get us ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus. If you are looking for a way to develop a habit of Bible reading, this is it!

4: rGroup

Monday at Dario in King at 6:00 PM! Going through Titus 3!

5: Jamie’s Jams

Want to know what Jamie is listening too? Scan the QR code

Intro

Week two of our Friends series!

This series is based on the verse in Proverbs

Proverbs 27:17 ESV

17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Friends are meant to build you up and help you

Last week we talked all about what constitutes a good friend!

How a good friend should be:

 Loyal

Encouraging

Honest

This week I want to challenge you to question who should be in your friend group

Who you would consider to be close versus who are just simply acquaintances

Because unfortunately I think the wires have been crossed when it comes to friends versus acquaintances

How many of you have life 360?

I had a student one time who had 40+ people on their life 360

They considered every single one of them a close friend

We had to remind them that at any given moment every single one of them knew exactly where they were and how dangerous that was

Maybe thats you though…

Maybe you got the wires crossed and you think you are BFFs with every person you meet

Or maybe you are the exact opposite and you keep every single person at arms length because you are afraid — either afraid they can’t handle it, or afraid they’ll hurt you

Either way you’re afraid

Well today, to close out the series I want to challenge you to question the people around you

Should they be as close as you allow them?

To do this, I want to look at Jesus

Jesus & Crowds

Jesus is the perfect example to look at for two very specific reasons

Jesus was fully human

He had all the desires we had

All the limitations

He faced issues and need people

Jesus was fully God

Jesus was perfect

He did everything perfectly

He never failed and never could

Listen to how the author of Hebrews describes Jesus:

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus faced everything we faced, but without sin

So I want to look at Jesus’ relationships in four spheres — and I want you to question where should I place people in my life with these four spheres

So the first sphere?

Sphere 1: crowds

John 6:1–2 ESV

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

This is one basic example — crowds came to Jesus and he would heal them — he would meet needs

He helped them

Think about Jesus and the feeding of the 5,000 — a crowd of people, Jesus had compassion, he helped them

But the crowds didn’t care about Jesus — they simply wanted something from Jesus

John 6:24–26 ESV

24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

They only wanted something from Jesus — they only wanted a free meal and a full belly!

Crowds don’t care about the person — they care about the product

Think about going to a concert — you’re not worried about how their family life is going, you just want them to perform for you

Do you have the crowds close?

Think about the people you have close to you, are they crowd people?

Do they only want you to do something for them? Do they only hit you up when they need something?

They might be crowd people

Nothing is more dangerous than putting a crowd person close to you

When you need something they disappear

You don’t want to ignore the crowds — don’t ignore the world around you — but don’t bring them close

Jesus didn’t ignore the crowds — he helped them and loved them, but He didn’t rely on them

Jesus & 72

The next sphere of people that Jesus had was:

Sphere 2: The 72

Jesus had the 72 around Him

Luke 10:1 ESV

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

In Luke 10 we see that Jesus sent out 72 people to go and share the message of the Kingdom with the world?

Jesus had 72 people around Him who loved Him and followed Him

These 72 people knew Jesus more than a crowd, yet they didn’t know Jesus

They loved what He could do for them, just like the crowds, but they also cared about Jesus

There was a deeper relationship than just wanting something from Jesus

The 72 represented people that came to faith in Jesus — but wasn’t with him and didn’t know him all the time

Who’s the 72?

Who is the 72 around you?

Do you have people that should be in the 72 to close?

The 72 would be people around you that care about the same things you care about, or that want the same things you want

The 72 would be something like:

The church family

Sports team

Partner in a school assignment

The 72 help you — they like you — they will be with you, but only when it’s good for them

It’s important to have the 72 around you

They can help you, encourage you, and build you up

The 72 will be there, but only when its convenient for them

Not because they don’t care about you, but out of convenience

It’s important to have people in this sphere

Jesus & 12

Here’s the next sphere that Jesus had

Sphere 3: The 12

Jesus had the disciples, or the 12

Luke 22:14–16 ESV

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus’ 12 disciples were with Him all the time

These were the people that knew Jesus, that cared for Jesus, that even looked after Jesus

John 4:31 ESV

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

The disciples/12 cared for Jesus — even when it wasn’t always conveniently for them

The 12 helped Jesus in all different areas of life

Who’s in your 12?

Who are you close to?

Do they help and care for you?

Are they looking out for you?

Jesus’ disciples were with Him and cared for Him

They sought to help him in all different areas of their life

Jesus & 3

Here’s the final sphere

Sphere 4: The 3

Jesus also had the 3

Matthew 26:36–38 ESV

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

Out of Jesus’ 12 disciples he had 3 that were his closest friends

They were with him in the garden in his greatest time of need

The 12 were there, but the 3 were closest

They were with him when he went on the mountain during the transfiguration

They were the the “inner inner circle” if you will

They knew not just details about Jesus, but knew specifics!

They saw Jesus at his lowest and most vulnerable — they also saw Him at his highest

Do you have 3?

Do you have 3 people that know you?

Do you have people that can just by looking at you, know that their is something wrong?

The 3 knew all the intimate details about Jesus and His life

They knew everything about Him

Conclusion

Think about your life and your relationships

You have:

Crowds that are always around — sometimes good, sometimes bad

The 72 that are with you — they back you, but not always consistent

The 12 that are always with you — they can handle the things you tell them

The 3 that have your back — they can look at you and know somethings off

Where are your friends?

Do you have people that should be crowd people in your three?

Do you have people that should be the 12 in your 72?

There is something dangerous that can happen when you don’t have people around you that actually care and want to help you

Students your friends are meant to be iron that sharpens you — don’t get the wires crossed

When you think everyone is close to you — who do you go to when your life is hurting?

Who do you turn to when your world is crumbling?

Place people correctly!