Closer Than a Brother

Proverbs 18:24 ESV

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

Thesis/ Central Idea:

To overcome the world with all its natural disadvantages, we must make sure that Jesus is closer than a brother.

Introduction:

If we are going to renew our faith we are going to have to consider our relationships around us

Those who are close to us and,

Those who should be close to us, like Jesus and the Saints

Proverbs (10:1–22:16). Proverbs on labor, prosperity, and wealth (10:1–32).

Wealth does have value as security from trouble,

but riches wrongfully gained will not protect.

Diligent workers enrich themselves,

but lazy people irritate everyone.

Above all, integrity and the Lord’s blessing provide the most sure security.

The context Proverbs 18:23-19:10; deals with the poor at disadvantage before the courts when able to pay a debt where the rich are taking advantage of their position. Draw the modern day analogy of our disadvantage in the flesh, showing how our adversary leverages his advantage in the world to bring us indebted and focused in flesh.

Understand that the flesh can take away focus from the spirit. Our bad living or poor living in the flesh calls attention away from our true eternal existence in the spirit. When we overly focus on money we automatically under focus on the spirit.

Our Heavenly Father knows what our needs are. He will provide for us. We do not focus on His provision, we focus on our provision which falls short of what we actually need for eternity.

Natural Disadvantages

We participate in a world that is temporal and finite.

The world does not and cannot participate in the eternal life arena.

A world that demands things from us, but only according to its temporal and finite status.

What the world produces cannot overcome the authority that created it.

So if you play by the rules of the world by default you are not even participating in the eternal life arena.

Romans 8:13 (ESV)

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Living in the natural is a disadvantage.

“You’re the average of the five people spend the most time with,”

a quote attributed most often to motivational speaker Jim Rohn.

There’s also the “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” derivative.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV)

33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

There are natural disadvantages to to pursue only natural desires.

However you were first born into the flesh, and you are mighty swayed by it.

Always remember that you are not predominantly what you feel.

Feelings operate mainly in the flesh and are also temporal, they change often.

Who you are principally does not change as quickly or as often as your emotions/Feelings.

[That is why we must consider our close relationships…]

Our Closet Relationship

Be careful about who your closet Relationship is with.

We are created for relationship

James 4:4 (ESV)

4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Consider carefully your relationship with the world.

Is your worldly relationship closer than your spiritual one?

Consider Paul’s warning to the Church in 2 Corinthians...

2 Corinthians 6:14–18 (ESV)

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

17 Therefore go out from their midst,

and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

then I will welcome you,

18 and I will be a father to you,

and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.”

Now remember we are considering relationships, some take this too far an isolate themselves from the world in a way that they cannot witness to the world.

This means you have to discern what relationships are good for your soul and which ones are not.

Your souls importance demands that your relationships be beneficial to your soul and not beneficial to your flesh.

We need relationships that will stir our souls unto good works.

The older we get the flesh becomes less capable of being stirred.

That is why the flesh works so hard in our youth, it is the best opportunity to command the soul for a lifetime.

[So the first relationship of priority is Jesus…]

Our Relationship with Him

One of your five closest friends needs to be Jesus.

John 15:14–15 (ESV)

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Fleshy worldly brothers cannot do for us what Jesus has done for us.

He has overcome the world and makes it possible for us to overcome the world as well.

1 Peter 3:18 (ESV)

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

That is why our relationship with Him must be our priority.

Conclusion:

Call to Action: Create a better relationship with Him who is closer than a brother.

Become better focused on the spiritual and the court where God provides Justification which leads to mercy and grace.

Invitation: