Friends and Friendliness Sermon (2)

(I) The Laban Delema

A. Wrong Attitude towards his Brother Jacob.

(II) What Alticated Laban’s Friendliness towrds Jacob?

A. Conflict

B. Jealosy

King James Version Chapter 4

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, cand his countenance fell.

(III) Friends - God’s Dimension of Blessing.

A. Truth- all of us need Friends.

Method> don’t be unfriendly esp/ towards anyone in the church.

Error > Leaders view as they can be falsely misunderstood

a. Eg: If a Leader is friendly with someone else ....this can be seen as favortism

b. Another false view - a Leader must always reach out to the saints first ....otherwise they are not friendly (misunderstanding)

c. Laban missed the blessing of Frienship

d. Error - old school / Larrikan spirit - teachers pet mockers (we all did it)

3. Friendship fills three main areas of Human need:

a. Health

b. Longevity

c. Spiritual Vitality

4. The Error in our thinking towards Friendship:

a. No one wants to be my friend- self pity

b. No one really cares?

c. True friends are hard to come by?

d. Real friends is in clicks - purple circle and no one else is allowed in?

e.

5. Ills / Salesman in his Truck

Who is your most faithful friend? Listen to this stirring example about the pursuit of friendship.

A traveling salesman came to a small community to sell his products. As his rickety truck came to a stop, a crowd of customers surrounded him.

As the people pressed in to examine the goods, he advertised his newest item. “Hurry, hurry, hurry,” he cried out. “Step right up and see for yourself this Faithful Friendship Kit. Come get ‘em while they last.”

Not surprisingly, he sold every one he had on his truck that day. As the people opened up their kits at home, they were quickly disappointed. The Faithful Friendship Kits were empty—except for a small piece of paper that read:

• If you want a faithful friend, you must first become one.

• If you become a faithful friend, it will get you a new one.

• You’ve got to put yourself into it: make a fresh commitment to love people and to use things, not to use people and to love things.

A few of the people were outraged and demanded their money back. Others just missed the point altogether and let the matter drop. But there were some who got the salesman’s point and took the matter to heart.

How about you? Is there still something missing in your Faithful Friendship Kit? Could it be you?