The fruit of faithful friends

intro:

Hey everybody! My name is Zach Honnen and I am the student and young adult Director at The River Church (Grand Blanc)

I am super excited to be here with you. I was invited by Pastor Brady.

Today were continuing the series the right habits:

If you’ve been here the past couple weekends, what have y’all been talking about so far?

What have been some things that you’ve learned so far?

Today We’re looking at what it means to invest into healthy friendships

How would you Define define friendship?

What does it mean to have a friend?

What does it mean to be a friend?

Have you ever had a really good friend or really bad friend without naming names?

Do you think friendship is important? why or why not?

Walk today we’re gonna look at why friendship is very important

And I can tell you, I’ve had many different friends over the years so I’ve been friends with three years. Some are new some I’m no longer friends with.

But friendship is very important as Christians and as people

The friends we keep will affect the rest of our lives

Good friends will make us better bad friends will make us worse

But before we continue, let’s go ahead and look at our text today. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Would anyone like to read?

Text:

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ESV

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Prayer: Lets pray

I want you guys to take a few minutes. Look at your Bibles and see if anything in our verses today stand up to you.

What are some observations we can make?

Jumping in verse nine, we see it says this

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT

9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

Now in this room, how many of us like to do things on our own?

A phrase that I heard growing up was if you want something done, right do it yourself

What do you guys think of that statement? Is it good or is it bad?

Personally, I think there is some truth to when I do something on my own. I’m the only one responsible for it, but I’m also missing out on what someone else can bring to the table.

Have y’all ever had to move something heavy?

A few weeks ago I went to buy a couch and bought it from a gentleman. He helped me load it into the van big work van.

And I drove back to my house and I got home and I realized I no longer had someone to help me unload the couch

I realized I wasn’t gonna be able to do it on my own. I wasn’t gonna be able to achieve what I wanted without damaging this couch.

In that moment, I realized I needed help and my roommate came out of the house as he was leaving and said wait a minute do you need help unloading that and I said yeah

And we got it inside where it needed to be, and the reality was once it was inside, I could move it. I could push it across the floor by getting it out of the van was impossible.

Often times in life their points, where we need a friend to help us carry a burden or help us achieve what God has for us

What are some things as Christians that become easier with the help of a good friend?

(Accountability; I’ll help you stay in the word if you help me stay in the word)

Could be sin the need to confess and ask for someone to pray for you

It could be gospel conversations you might not have the answer and you need to go to your friend to help you answer a question

There are a lot of burdens in life that we will have a lot of troubles that we need friends to help us with

And we see that in verse 10

10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?

12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Small group questions:

Proverbs 13:20 ESV

20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 17:17 ESV

17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 20:18 ESV

18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.

Proverbs 27:5–6 ESV

5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Proverbs 27:17 ESV

17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.