Sermon Tone Analysis

I wanted to preach from the Subject “JESUS IS MY FRIEND” (play Friends theme song)

I want to look at , will read from several different translations.

New International Version

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

New Living Translation

There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

English Standard Version

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

New American Standard Bible

A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

King James Bible

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

New Living Translation

There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

English Standard Version

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

New American Standard Bible

A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

King James Bible

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

New American Standard Bible

A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

King James Bible

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

King James Bible

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

English Standard Version

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

New American Standard Bible

A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

King James Bible

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Again, there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother..

Again, there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother..

In essence Solomon is saying here, “a man who has friends must maintain their friendships through feast and entertainment but there is a friend that will stand by in adversity.”

I think over the years how many broken friendships I have.

Relationship are hard things to maintain..

In this proverb, Solomon deals with person relationship.

In verse 19 he says

(NASB95)

(NASB95)

19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,

And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

When a brother is offended he is harder to reconcile than taken a strong city.

Let me say

We have a responsibility not to enter into offence but we also have a larger responsible not to offend people.

maintaining friendships are hard

Matthew Henry says,

The problem as I see it is that.

Matthew Henry says,

We are human.

Broken people.

We say the wrong things and we take things the wrong way.

Matthew Henry says,

“Great care must be taken to prevent quarrels among relations and those under obligations to each other.

Wisdom and grace make it easy to forgive; but corruption makes it difficult.”

We all have that one sensitive friend, and some of us are that sensitive friend.

The pulpit commentary says,

The Hebrew is literally, a man of friends will come to destruction.

Destruction - "to break or destroy"

Meaning that the man of many friends, who lays himself out to make friends of bad and good alike, does so to his own ruin.

They will feed upon him, and exhaust his resources, but will not stand by him in the day of calamity, nay, rather will give a helping hand to his downfall.

It is not the number of so called friends that are really useful and precious.

Destruction - "to break or destroy" meaning that the man of many friends, who lays himself out to make friends of bad and good alike, does so to his own ruin.

They will feed upon him, and exhaust his resources, but will not stand by him in the day of calamity, nay, rather will give a helping hand to his downfall.

It is not the number of so called friends that are really useful and precious.

Often time we feel the need for companionship to cover our extreme feelings of loneness.

So we do things to receive the attention that we craze

We talked last week about our need for water.

sometime you're not hungry, you're just thirsty.

Thus, we have a need to be accepted and include.

So we run with folk that we should not and do things that we should not to impress or gain acceptance.

You know peer pressure….

We become people pleasure.. we are not ourselves we adapt to become apart.

Our theology changes so that we will not offend others because we long to be accepted.. so we actually take upon multi-personalities and we drift away into confusion not know who it is that we really are.

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly

this is one of the great lesson we must teach our kids.

A man of too many friends comes to ruin…

I’ve gained friends, but I’ve lost myself.

I don’t have any friends… well, if you wanna be our friends you have to….

Mamma I was just trying to fit in..

Beloved why are you trying to fit in when the Lord has called you out?

Fitting in is too stressful, I might as well just be me..

I’m loud!! I’m charismatic!! I’m opinionated!! I’m silly!! I’m weird!!

But I’m me!!

in the KJV says,

in the KJV says,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

I may not be accepted in your circle.. you may think i’m strange but...

I am accepted and I BE LOVED..

That aint good English but its good preaching…

There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother..

People change, times change, relationships change.. but there is one that is the same yesterday today and forever!!!

He sticks closes… in Hebrew stick closer means

to cling, cleave, keep close:—cleaves(4), cling(14), clings(3), closely pursued(1), closer(1), clung(4), deeply attracted(1), fasten its grip(1), follow closely(1), held fast(1), hold(2), hold fast(2), holding fast(1), joined(2), joined together

this friendship points to a closer relationship than family…

Look at

11So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

Notice “the Lord spoke,” or talk to Moses face to face..