Friend of God

I want to talk about friend of God. We sang it and want to talk about it. We sing the

song I'm a Friend of God and it seems to come from a place where He's saying it and that

is true. He does say it. But besides the high honor of hearing God say, well done good and

faithful servant, which is something that we should aspire for, another highly prized

phrase not often spoken in heaven is when God says, here stands a friend of God. It's

not very often that you hear Him saying that in the Bible. He says that generally to us

because that's coming from His heart. Think of it this way. The Creator and the God of

the universe. The Creator and the God of the universe says He is my friend, that He sees

me as a friend. That's what the Creator and the God of the universe says. And that's settled

for eternity. Settled for eternity where He says I don't see you as anything but a son

and a friend Jacob. That's settled for eternity. And Romans 8.38 says that there's nothing

that will ever break that for the rest of eternity. Romans 8.38 says I'm absolutely

convinced that nothing, I am absolutely convinced that nothing, nothing living or dead, nothing

angelic or demonic, nothing like today or tomorrow, nothing high or low, nothing thinkable

or unthinkable, not even sin it says in 8.36 and 8.37. No trouble you're going through.

Not even sin. Absolutely nothing can get between me and God's love for me because of how Jesus

has embraced me. So that is settled for eternity that I am a friend of God. He sees me that

way. But besides the high honor of hearing, well done good and faithful servant which

is a thing that some of us will hear and many of us should aspire to hear. Because we just

assume that everybody who goes to heaven God will say well done good and faithful servant.

No. To hear the words well done good and faithful servant make sure you're faithful and make

sure that the life lived is the life that is good before Him. Because many of us will

go to heaven because we are saved but it is another thing to hear the words well done

good and faithful servant. But another phrase that you can aspire for that is highly prized

in heaven or that is occasionally spoken in heaven is when God turns to someone and

says there's a friend of mine. Because of the qualities and the ways you live here on

earth He says there stands a friend. God said that about Abraham. In Isaiah 41 verse 8 and

Isaiah 41:8

I think in 2 Chronicles 20 in both places God says of Abraham that here is my friend.

Two more left. You usually do it in sevens. Isaiah 41, 8 Abraham was called a friend of

God. 2 Chronicles 20 I think verse 7 I might be wrong. He calls Abraham a friend of God.

So what we're going to look at today is what does it take to be called a friend of God?

What does my life look like? What will my life look like if I say I'm a friend of God?

What does it look like? And this is from how do we live here if we are supposed to live

a life that personifies what it is to be a friend of God? So here's the first one guys.

As a friend of God I must believe. I must entrust myself. I must rely on. I must be

expectant. I must be persuaded of His goodness, His power and His faithfulness. How do we

know that these are required qualities? Because it says in James 2, 23 that the scripture

were fulfilled which says that Abraham believed, relied on, depended on, wholly trusted himself

to God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness and he was called the friend of God. One of

the requirements expected of you if you say you're a friend of God is are you illogically,

desperately, recklessly and joyously dependent on Him. Let me say that again. I must be desperately

as in gosh I can't live any other way. Recklessly as in come on Father let's jump off this cliff.

Illogically as in this doesn't make sense but it makes so much sense and joyously as

in yeah and you jump off. That is what it looks like to believe. That is what it looks

like to believe. Desperately as in but I want a son. You said you'll give me a son. Recklessly

as in I'm going to sleep with, what's her name? Sarah. I'm going to sleep with Sarah

even though she's 90. Illogically as in I know I'm important and my body does not work

and joyously as in Sarah you can begin calling me Abraham from now on even in the marketplace.

This is a quality that should stand out if you're a friend of God and it shall be credited

to you not just as righteousness alone but you shall be called a friend of God because

a friend of God believes, relies, depends on, leans back on, is expectant and is persuaded

of God's goodness, of God's power, of God's faithfulness. That'll show that you're a

friend of God. Here's another one. As a friend of God I must love obedience to his commands.

As a friend of God I must love, not submit to, I must love obedience to his commands

and I must dread offending or hurting the father I love. I must love obeying his commands,

not I must submit to his commands, not I must, you know there's this verse in the Bible

which has always bothered me which is such a cool verse. It says, if you were obedient

and willing you would have eaten the good of the land. Not if you were obedient you

would have eaten the good of the land, not if you were willing you would have eaten the

good of the land, if you had been obedient and willing. And willingness and obedience

comes when you begin to love the one who is obedient and willing. And you love the one

whose command you're obeying. So as a friend of God I must love obedience to his commands

and I must dread offending the father I love. I must dread offending or hurting the father

I love. Wouldn't you do that for a good friend? Usually with good friends we are willing to

do what they ask us to do because of our friendship and we dread offending them. When Derek and

I were traveling at one point there was a time when I was hoping he could come with

me somewhere and then the others told him, the airline told him no he can't and stuff

like that. I felt very bad. I called him two, three times, sent him text messages. By the

way, sending, calling Derek is an expensive proposition because his telephone, his phone,

his mobile is still a long distance number. So every time you call him you pay 35 cents

a minute.

This message is sponsored by Fido. Yeah, so you dread offending people you love. It's

not a dread that comes out of fear but it's just you don't want to offend or grieve someone

you love. And so that's another sign of a friend. And John 15, 14 says, you are my friends.

This is Jesus speaking and he says it so plainly. Some of these, you know, that's the difference

between Jesus and Paul. Jesus could say something very plainly in one short sentence. Paul would

say the same thing in very, very long sentences. So John 15 verse 14 says, you are my friends

John 15:14

if you do what I command. Wow. As a friend of God, I'm a friend of God if I do what he

commands. God sees me as a friend but to behave as a friend of God here on earth I must do

what he commands. Another scripture that talks about friendship is Psalm 25, 14 and depending

on the version, ESV puts it this way, the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear

him. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him. The friendship of the Lord一次

for those who fear him. And we talked about this long ago and we talked about the fear

of the Lord. We said the fear of the Lord is born out of love and it is the dread offending

the father you love. The fear of the Lord is the dread offending the father you love

in the New Testament. Not in the New Testament, it has ever been so, but we see it with New

Testament glasses. So that's the second one. Here's another one. Guys, as a friend of God,

I must love Him through all times, especially during times of adversity. As a friend of

God, I must love Him through all times, especially through times of adversity. In the New Testament,

Proverbs 17, 17, it says, a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17, 17. My friendship with God, His is never tested. He laid down His life. He

said, you lay down your life for your friends and He did. But my friendship with God is

tested in terms of how I am through hard times, through times of adversity. Because as a friend

of God, I must love Him through all times. So the question is, is His presence, is His

grace, is His truth, is His peace, is His love manifest in my life when hard times and adversity

try to distance and choke? I will never leave you or forsake you out of my life. Have you

and I come to a place now where there is no upsetedness where adverse circumstances hit?

Where we've stopped using words like, why is God doing this to me? Where we've stopped

saying, where is God? Where we've stopped saying, how come none of your promises are

working? You're not faithful. Has it ceased? Is it an immediate turning towards God in

adversity or is there a difficulty approaching Him because things are not working out? And

when things don't work out, there's sometimes this tendency of many things not working out.

That's an old trick of the enemy where when he sometimes attacks, he attacks in multiple

blows to see if the person can completely crumble. So one needs to ask where you're

at. Will looking at my life show that my elder brother does all things well? When looking

at my life, will my life show that my elder brother does all things well? Because a friend

loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. We always put that on God or between

our relationship with each other, but turn it on yourself. Are you and I able to love

Him at all times because that's who a friend of God is, especially through adversity? Another

scripture says in Proverbs 18-24, there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Why does it always have to be God? Why can't it be you now? You and Him, not Him and you.

We always think of Him as the one who sticks closer than a brother. Why not, since you

want to be a friend of God, why not turn it around? Though you slay me, yet will I praise

you. Though the victory shall not blossom, yet will I rejoice and do cartwheels. Why

not turn it on yourself? I want to be a friend of God on earth. I want to, but these are

things that are sometimes required. Here's another one. As a friend of God, I must seek,

discover and know what the Father is doing. As a friend of God, I must seek, discover

and know what the Father is doing. Very important distinction of someone who is a friend. Guys,

remember this. God is first looking for friends, not servants. God is first looking for friends,

not servants. Servanthood is very important in the kingdom, but servanthood is not important

in the kingdom. Servanthood is very important in the kingdom, but servanthood can be rooted

in bland and risk-free bliss of Ksirassara. Let me say that again. Servanthood is vital

in the kingdom, but servanthood can be rooted in the bland and risk-free bliss of Ksirassara.

Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to decide. Join me now. Ksirassara. This

is the role of a servant. Don't believe me, Jesus actually said it. John 15 verse 14 and

John 15:14

15. He said, 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. So to walk around saying whatever God does let him do is the role of

a servant and it's vitally important because whatever God says we should do. But God first

wants friends, not servants. And so we need to understand that that is a distinction of

friendship. And so withdraw yourself from this Ksirassara attitude because it's bland,

it's sluggish and it's risk-free. Risk-free. Guys, Isaiah 55, 8 which says my thoughts

are higher than your thoughts, my ways are higher than your ways, must collide with

Proverbs 25, 2 which says it is the privilege of God to conceal a matter, but it is the

privilege of kings to reveal it. It should collide and when it collides that's when

the supernatural acts of God are generated. Do you see now why God in Genesis 18, 24 says

to the angels that are with him, should I not tell Abraham what I am going to do? He's

waiting to go and judge Sodom and Gomorrah and he's standing there and he hasn't told

anybody and he's outside the oaks of Mamre and he's standing there and he's thinking

and he says it aloud, should I hide from Abraham what I'm going to do? It goes back to what

Jesus is saying that I don't treat you as servants anymore. Servants do not know what

their master is going to do, but I treat you as friends and I have revealed to you what

the father knows. This is what was behind God's yearning in Genesis 18, 17. Guys will

you go tell your secrets to strangers? Will you go tell your secrets to acquaintances?

Will you go tell your secrets to ones who are fair weather friends? You will only tell

that which are deep things that you want to, to friends because you know they have come

to a place in relationship with you where they can be trusted. To only step up when

you ask them to step up, but otherwise to keep a matter. God is looking for friends

and to be a friend you have to walk in this distinct characteristic of beginning to seek,

discover and know the will of God instead of walking in the bliss of Kessera. Kessera

is Latin right? Not Greek. Okay. Well I just thought I knew something in Greek and now

it turns out to be Latin. Or maybe it's French. Spanish? This could split the church, let's

move on. Guys the next thing is as a friend of God I must be a friend of God. I must be

present to draw near. I must present to draw near. I must present to draw near. I must

seek to speak face to face. So how many Googled Kessera by now? No one? That's very good.

This is a church that knows how to behave. And I must knit my heart to his in intimacy.

Three things that so distinguish friendship. I mean this is such a no brainer. That I must

present to draw near. James chapter 4 verse 8 draw near to God and he will draw near to

James 4:8

you. Isn't that how friends are? Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. It's

a very nature of friends. Try doing that. Draw near to God and he will draw near to

you. Spanish. Like I said this might just. Okay moving on. Draw near to God and he will

draw near to you. Derek come back to the teaching. Draw near to God and he will draw near to

you. Guys why am I stuck there? You guys are distracting me. Guys press in. Press in

to draw near. This is a sign of friendship. The next one is in Exodus 33 11. And Moses

the Lord would speak to Moses face to face as he speaks to a friend. Gosh man. Exodus

33 11. And the Lord would speak to Moses face to face. Remember that word Panim which we

talked about long ago. Which is a face to face speaking. And the odd thing is the word

presence and face to face have the same meaning. So Exodus 33 11 the Lord would speak to Moses

face to face as one speaks with a friend. And then 1 Samuel 18 1. It's David speaking

to David and Jonathan and it says there as soon as he had finished speaking to Saul the

soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 1

Samuel 18 1. So these are three things that characterize a friend of God. And the beautiful

thing is tomorrow you can increase in it and day after you can increase some more. So that

one day in the corridors of heaven they'll say. God will say to his angels or whoever

or between the trinity where he says oh there goes a friend of mine. There goes a friend

of mine. One man he talks about like that Abraham. There goes Abraham my friend. This

is not some kind of a crown we wear. This is satisfying the heart of God. Yeah it's

easy to say oh we don't want a crown like that. We just want to be humble servants.

Well do what God asks. That's what's important. God says I want friends first not servants.

This is not about wearing a crown. This is about satisfying the heart of God. He is most

glorified when you are most satisfied and I would suggest to you friendship with him

can be very satisfying. Next one. As a friend of God I must love purity. As a friend of

God I must love purity. As a friend of God I must love purity. I also must be a man whose

speech is full of grace. Ah difficult now eh suddenly. These other things were a little

easier. Now we are getting into the nitty gritty of things. As a friend of God I must

love purity and I must be a man whose speech is full of grace. As a friend of God I must

love purity. Proverbs 22 verse 11. He who loves purity of heart and whose speech is

Proverbs 22:11

gracious will have the king as his friend. He who loves purity of heart and whose speech

is gracious will have the king as his friend. You can see why the speech full of grace is

important guys. In James chapter 3 verse 2 it says if any man offend not in word the

James 3:2

same is a perfect man who knows how to bridle his whole body. What an odd scripture eh that

if I knew how to speak perfectly I would be a perfect man. Just imagine that. We can do

a whole teaching on that. But it says and I love the King James in this. If any man

offend not in word the same is a perfect man who can now bridle his entire body. James

James 3:2

chapter 3 verse 2. If any man offend not in word as in his speech is perfect. His speech

is perfect. Yeah crazy eh can't even imagine that. That's why if you could spend the rest

of your life speaking in tongues you'd be a perfect person but the problem is no one

would understand you. So that's why it won't work. So that's why it won't work. So that's

why. This guy called Jim Downing was asked this question. Why is it that so few men finish

well? Men and women. So Jim Downing was asked why is it that so few men finish Christian

the Christian race well? Why is it that so few men finish well? And his answer was I've

been trying to memorize this one. They learn the possibility of being fruitful without

being pure. And they begin to believe that purity doesn't matter. Eventually they become

like rotting they become like trees rotting inside that are toppled by a storm. Let me

say that again. Why is it that so few men finish well? And his answer was they learn

the possibility of being fruitful without being pure. And they begin to believe that

purity doesn't matter. Eventually they become like trees rotting inside that are toppled

over by a storm. And isn't that what is happening with leaders? Where you can become fruitful

because the ministry is going well. The results are great. The church is increasing. Signs,

wonders and miracles are happening. People like you. Financially you're doing well.

Your family seems pretty well painted at least on magazine covers. But at the end of the

day you are finding yourself fruitful and you're letting go of purity. And the inside

is rotting. And when the inside rots eventually in a storm the tree topples. So Jim Downing

as a friend of God I must love purity. He who loves purity of heart and whose speech

is gracious will have the king as his friend. Doesn't matter whether you're a leader of

a big church or a small church like this. Doesn't matter if you're a man of God of great importance

or absolutely no importance. Purity is vital. Because otherwise the storm will eventually

topple you. And me. I take this to heart like crazy. Guys so what are we talking about?

Purity of life in words, in thoughts, in imagination. I was listening to someone say this last

week that I wouldn't be tempted if it wasn't for the fact that I didn't think a certain

way and imagine a certain way. I cannot be tempted if it wasn't for the fact that I think

a certain way and imagine a certain way. Where a thought is introduced and I begin to ponder

on it and I begin to imagine. And once I begin to imagine now I can be taken till sin conceives

and gives birth to. It's like a fish that's going towards a bait. Sin conceives and then

gives birth to death. But it starts in here man. So purity in words, in thoughts, in imaginations,

in action, in sex, what we consume and what we output. I'm talking about food, drink,

what we see, what we hear and what we output. Here's another one. As a friend of God I must

not be deceived by the slanderer or the deceiver or the devil. As a friend of God I must not

be deceived by the slanderer, the deceiver or the devil. Proverbs 16, 28 the second

part of it says, a slanderer separates intimate friends. A slanderer separates intimate friends.

Proverbs 16, 28 the second half. So as a friend of God I must not be deceived by the slanderer

or the deceiver or the devil. Guys know this that it is when truth is resisted that the

deceiver steps in and delusion follows. Let me say it again. This is very true eh. It

is when truth is resisted that the deceiver has room to step in and delusion follows.

Isn't this what happens in the parable where when the seed of truth falls on rocky soil

of the heart the birds come and devour or dispose of it. That's what happens in the

parable. So when truth is resisted or not easily accepted now it creates room for the

deceiver to fly in and dispossess you of the truth and thereafter as it says in 1st Thessalonians

a delusion follows. So one of the smart ways to be free of delusion is to be willing to

receive truth. I fear sometimes that when I resist truth or you resist truth that is

spoken here or shape your own version of the truth you think you are being loyal to God's

ways when you may be actually walking in dim vision. See I can preach this and not go home

and practice it and the moment I do that what is happening is I need to be afraid that I

am not working with the truth that I am beginning to shape my own version of the truth. I am

a hearer but not a doer. See these are the ways we deal with the truth eh. Either we

resist it because it doesn't fit our paradigm or we shape it so that it mixes with what

we know so that it can be palatable or we hear it but we don't practice it. And when

any of these things happen the deceiver has room to now come into my life and dispossess

me of the truth that I spoke or I taught or you spoke and you taught and he now has the

ability to fly in and dispossess me of it and now what follows guys this is true of

everything eh. A vacuum begs to be occupied and when you are dispossessed of the truth

delusion follows and I fear that for me and sometimes I fear that for you and the greater

the exposure to the truth the greater your responsibility. So I am not going to be afraid

and sometimes the feelings get in the way but remember guys your feelings are not God

God is God. Your feelings are not God God is God. Your thoughts and feelings do not

define the truth. The word of God defines the truth. Your thoughts and your feelings

this is how I think. Sorry doesn't matter what you think your thoughts and feelings

do not define the truth. The word of God defines the truth.

Two more and we are done. Guys as a friend of God I must know that friendship with the

world as in its way of thinking its prime time TV programs its philosophies its standards

as a friend of God I must know that friendship with the world will result either in conformity

with the world or in adulteration of my life making me an enemy of God gosh where did that

one come from? That came from James chapter 4 verse 4 where it says you adulterers it

James 4:4

actually says you adulteresses because we are the bride of Christ you adulteresses do

you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God therefore whoever

wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God wow and the thing is because

of the inundation of the world into our living rooms into our lives on a daily basis much

of it through prime time TV. Blessed are you if you don't own a television set and even

more blessed are you if you own a television set and know how to not watch it. That's even

tougher eh? So blessed are you but more blessed are you if you have one and do not watch it.

Oh you are in deep deep trouble. Thou aren't blessed if thou hast a TV and watch it baseball.

Yeah. Silence in the gallery. I almost pictured this when I was writing that there will be

a voice from that end of the room saying exactly what you said and I don't know he's gotten

better over the years but what you know. So as a friend of God I must know that friendship

with the world its way of thinking its prime time TV its philosophy its standards. Guys

see jokes about sex and homosexuality hardly bother us anymore. Watching something on TV

where there's an adulterous relationship or stuff like that doesn't bother us anymore.

It doesn't do we are not we don't react like lot in Sodom. It doesn't grieve us. It's become

such a normal thing for us we can watch it without even feeling a thing because it's

become such a normal part of life. Good for you then. Very good for you because you are

watching it. Because I'm finding that when I see stuff like this it doesn't bother me

and it's like I've gotten used to it. Very good if you haven't got it. Let me rephrase

it this way. I am not bothered like it by it like I used to be bothered before. Because

it's become like ah but this is life. And so what happens is this is life has the phrase

this is life the reason I use it is because obviously the way I think has been contaminated

or adulterated by the standards of the world. So there is the distinction between Goshen

and the rest of Egypt is becoming very thin. And so if you still are offended by it good

you preserved yourself better than I have. So may our thinking and may our standards

once again be lifted up because to be friends with the world is to be an enemy of God. And

I don't know who wrote this line. I think it's John Piper I'm not sure. But he said

it's not the banquet of the wicked. It's not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite

for God. It's nibbling at the table of the world. It's not the banquet of the wicked

that dulls our appetite for God. As in we know enough not to sit at a banqueting table

that the enemy spreads. But what dulls our appetite for God is the nibbling at the table

of the world. Yesterday I went for an engagement thing and so I kept nibbling at little things.

When I got home there was lots of dinner but I didn't feel like eating it so I had to wait

till 11.30 before I felt hungry. But there was no need for that example. The point being

guys that that's how this works. That's how this works. So let us demolish altars of sinning

that we have set up in our lives and homes. Let us demolish altars of sinning that we

have set up in our lives and our homes. One of the things that I know that I'm not going

to do, I've started doing and want to continue is like drastically reduce what I watch on

TV. Drastically. Because when I was writing this I was thinking to myself boy you don't

react with any, not shock. Nothing in you rises up against some of the things that are

happening. You take it as common place. And why? Because that's what you hear and see

and you get used to it. You know there's this canal in Chennai, India called the Buckingham

Canal. Beautiful name. But all the sewage of Chennai goes into that canal. And so when

you land there and it's right next to the railway, central railway station there. When

you land there and you step out of the train, man it's an overpowering smell. But if you

keep walking there a couple of days you get so used to that smell that you don't even

realize that it stinks that much. Odd how these things work. Last point. As a friend

of God I must lean on the friend who will always be with me and grow me into an Abraham

like friend of God. As a friend of God, boo. As a friend of God I must lean on the friend

who will always be with me and grow me into an Abraham like friend of God. Who are we

talking about? The wonderful Holy Spirit. In John 14, 16 depending on which version

you're reading it says, I will talk to the Father and in some versions it says he will

provide you another friend. In some versions it says advocate. In another version it says

helper. But John 14, 16 I will talk to the Father and he will provide you another friend,

advocate or helper so that you will always have someone with you. This friend is the

spirit of truth. So here's a cool thing. That God has given me a friend who can help

me become a friend of God. How nuts is that? God has given me a friend who can help me

become a friend of God. Who can help me become an Abraham like friend or even slightly better

than him. Or maybe really better than him. I'm a friend of God. That if you say that

statement then these things have to become now part of our life. Yeah? Bless you guys.

It's been a good Sunday man. Yeah, it was fun. Thanks guys. You know we need to put

up some of these things. Like put up this Chantel thing, put up this Diana thing and

put up the what's her name? Rhonda thing. Yeah, those are the things that we need to

put up. Yeah, those are the things we have to put up. So, should I? Yeah, we need the

construction thingy to do that. Vane? So Father we bless you. It's been a wonderful morning.

The odd thing is Father your spirit orchestrates the morning and then we end up doing the things

that you want and then you are glorified and when you are glorified we are satisfied.

And the great thing is there's no limit to it. There will never be a time when we would

have plumbed the ultimate depths of glorifying you. Even when we are in heaven it will continue.

So thank you. We bless you Father. Father next week just so the people here remember

we are meeting at 10.20 Father. It's so enjoyable.