My Best Friend
MY BEST FRIEND
TEXT: Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
INTRODUCTION: True friends are those who are there for you unconditionally. Never do they question, but always offer support no matter what the circumstances are. Best Friends are the people worth living for.
Real friendship is most notable in those times of trouble. Times of prosperity are full of 'friends'.
"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
I. A FRIEND WHO TOOK OUR PLACE
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Ezekiel 18:4 …the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die…
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
A. He had been betrayed by Judas Iscariot they came and got Him in the Garden and began to spit on Him and mock Him
1. They took Him and He was ordered to be scourged
2. Many man died beneath the scourge A big Roman Soldier who was trained only to do this one thing would take that scourge with was a bunch of leather throngs that had pieces of bone, metal, glass and pottery tied along the strands and he would dip this down in sheep’s blood and tie their hands together and hang them on a ring were they were standing on their tiptoes where the muscles on their back and side would be drawn as tight as they possible could be drawn and he would take that whip dipped in sheep’s blood which acted as glue would rare back and as hard as he could wrap that whip around the body of Christ and then drag it back across His body where it would rip the flesh and he would do this 39 times where there would be no flesh on the back of the individual and literally the intestines would be exposed Many men died on at the scourging but not Jesus for He was destined to die on a Cross. He was bleeding from the top of His head to the bottom of His feet
B. They placed a robe on Him
1. That cloth would coagulate with the blood like a band aid placed on a cut His whole body was one big gigantic sore
2. It was like that but a giant bandage on Him and it mixed in with the blood
3. They spat on Him they kicked Him they hit Him
C. They hammered a crown of thorns on His head
1. Those thorns began to pierce the skin down to the skull
2. They Mocked Him more
3. They said Prophesy King
D. Then they ripped the robe off of Him
1. The blood had been allowed to clot with the material
2. Once again opening up very sore and every gash
E. They placed to cross members of the cross upon His back
1. Splinters on the rugged wood
2. Penetrating the open wound
F. They laid Him on the cross
1. Drove spikes though His hands and feet to hold Him on the cross
2. The only way anyone could breathe on the cross would be to raise themselves up with their feet
3. They lifted the cross up and moved it over to that deep hole that had been dug.
4. The cross now was allowed to fall into the hole and when it hit the bottom with a thud, could you imagine the pain
5. He would raise Himself up to get a breath to say those words on the cross
G. The Words
1. My God why hast thou forsaken me (He became our sin)
2. It is finished (His blood lowed to the timbers of that old rugged cross and whispered it is finished, the cross spoke to the ground to the grass to the trees to the clouds to the planets to a distant start to the angels to God YOUR MAJESTY WE JUST GOT THE MESSAGE FROM CALVARY
II. A friend who will stand for us
1 John 2:1 … we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Advocate Helper-somebody who acts or intercedes on behalf of another
Legal representative- a lawyer, who pleads another’s case in a legal forum.
A. Before the Judge
1. My name is called
2. Guilty as charged
3. Got to tell the truth
4. the Judge knows my heart and the intent of my heart
B. The devil begins and examination of my life
1. with the stench of hell on his breath he says state your name, summary of who you are and what you do
2. he then continue to question
a) Have your eyes ever looked upon lust
(1) I reply yes but..
(2) The devil says no buts did you or did you not
b) Have your ears listened
c) Have your feet taken
d) Have your hands touched
e) Angry without cause
f) envied
g) Have you ever have you ever have you ever
3. Next he calls my Guardian Angel
a) Do you know Ron Parker
b) I know him well
c) He continues the same questioning
4. Now he calls the Holy Spirit
5. He turns to the Judge and syas may I remind You Your Honor what you said in Ezekiel 18:4 and 18:20
C. I cry out, won’t someboy please stand up for me, then this figure appears aoubt 33 years old and approaches the Judge
1. I wore a dirty robe-he would have a robe of righteousness
2. I had no place to lay my head-he would have a mansion
3. I wore a corwon of thourn-he would have a corown of life
4. I walked calvary’s road-he would walk the streets of gold
5. I was treated unjustly he would be justified
6. I suffered-he saved
7. I abused-he exalted
8. I was bruised, battered & beaten-he have a new body
9. I bleed-he could be blessed
10. I died-he live
11. I went to hell-he could go to heaven
12. Based on the blood that I shed and his acceptance, your Honour I demand that he go free
D. A hush falls over the audience. The Judge picks up the gavel raps three times and said I find no fault in him well done thy good and faithful servant
III. a friend who will DELIVER us
John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
