Lessons on Friendship 11 (Further Exposition on Jesus’ Discipleship Model of Friendship) | Rev. COS Fawenu

Who is this of Wisdom Bible Church, the Church of a distant

Christian narration? So we are taking further lessons

on the pattern, the model by which Jesus established and

practice friendship with his disciples in particular, which

we can learn from. Last week we studied very

extensively the man called Eliza of Damascus, who was a servant

of Father Abraham, who by proper behavior replaced Lords, the

nephew of Abraham in the covenant equation of the

household of Father Abraham is your mind.

Be refreshed, Hallelujah. Now we're still going to a kind

of reiterate on that to launch us into the further lessons we

are going to be taking from the Jesus pattern of practicing

friendship. Now the potential that promoted

Ilyasa of Damascus to a level of becoming a confidant to his

master was first observed. That potential, that capacity to

be so responsible as to come to the covenant equation and find

relevance was first observed in Ilyasa in Genesis chapter 15.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

Let's run through the 1st 4 verses of that Scripture.

After these things, the word of the Lord came on to Abraham in a

vision. After what things, so many

things, God had called Abraham out.

He has left. He remained childless.

He has faced a number of challenges.

His expectations were yet to be made.

The promise was still afar off, and it was looking like as if

those promises will never come to pass.

So after this many turbulence of a life of obedience, the Lord

came on to Hebron in a vision, saying, Fear not Hebron, I am

thy she and thy exceeding great reward.

Then verse 2, which is the verse that brought Eliazza of Damascus

into the picture. And Abraham said, Lord God war

without give me. So because it has been promises

and promises and promises, tangibility has not been added

to the promise. So well, God now came to him

again and said, I am your sheet, I am your great reward.

He said very politely, Stop it Sir, this endless promises.

I am already getting fed up. I am reading my mind into it and

paraphrasing. And Abraham said in answer to

God, say I am your sheep, I am your great reward.

Abraham now said in verse 2, Lord God, deceive me not Ulua

Matami, what will thou give me that will be very tangible that

I can hold onto, that you are a promise keeper.

Say I go tideless, and the steward of my house is this

Helia of Damascus. Now God gave him a revelation,

and he responded with lamentation, because verse 1 is

a revelation. Verse 2 How do you describe it?

Lamentation. And Abraham said in verse 3,

Behold to me. So the lamentation continue,

Thou has given no seed, and lo, one born in my house is my heir.

So this Elias of Damascus was an home born servant.

He was not brought into the House of Abraham.

He was never a free man ever in his life.

If he were captured and brought into Father Abraham's house.

We say once he enjoyed freedom. Are you with me?

If he were bought, you know in those days they do buy slave, we

would say he once enjoyed freedom.

But what was 3 is making us to understand is that he was born

into the family of Abraham. So which means the mother was

his slave and so he was born into slave free, but he rose

from slavery to become the custodian of whatever were the

possession of Father Abraham, including the promised child.

And that is why I kept on emphasizing since that last

week's study that you come by proper behaviour.

You can buy high sense of responsibility rules to become

rise, to become a confidant to any level of authority, to

becoming a friend to any level of authority, regardless of your

background. I know one born in my house is

my heir. And behold, the word of

locomotive saying, this shall not be that promised, right?

But either shall comfort out of their own bull shall be your

air. Now that lamentation, what

instructed it? We need to travel back into the

story of that family. And by the time we travel back,

this is Chapter 15. By the time we travel back into

Isaiah 15 · chapter mention

Chapter 13, that is where we're going to see Lots and the manner

of mind and character he had that disqualify him, that pushed

him out of the promise equation. So that lamentation came because

Lots, the nephew of Father Abraham, who was supposed to be

a consolation to him, refused to occupy his place in the covenant

equation. Father Abraham was childless,

but he had in his family a nephew, the son of his late

brother Iran, that he took along with him in the journey to

possessing the Promised Land. But how did Lord threw himself

or throw himself out of that equation is separated from

Abraham without being sympathetic with his childless

condition. He should never cross the mind

of Lord at all to separate from father Abraham if he were a

thoughtful nephew. Are you with me?

If he were not a self centre desperate individual, in fact

his servants quarreling part of Abraham that brought about the

separation should not have the audacity to contend in any way

with the servant of father Abraham.

If in the first instance when such a quarrel came up and the

response of Lot is what are you trying to do?

Fight the servant of my destiny Emperor Somebody was supposed to

be an orphan and his uncle brought him to his family.

And the way a manner by which Father Abraham raised Eliasa, a

servant born in his house, tells us the character of Father

Abraham that he was not wicked or Carlos.

Uncle, am I talking to somebody? So he's separated from Father

Abraham without being sympathetic with his stablish

condition. Let's quickly run through the

first 12 verses of Genesis 13. We have the Revelation in

chapter 15. Then in that same chapter 15 we

have the Lamentation. What brought about the

lamentation? OK, many factors, including the

separation of lots that, yes, he didn't have a child of his own,

but he had the child of his brother.

But the child of his brother was not behaving properly, was not

occupying his rightful place. And Abraham went up out of

Egypt, he and his wife and all that.

He had a lot with him into the South.

And Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in good.

And he went on his journey from the South even to Better, or to

the place where his 10th had been at the beginning, between

Better and high, on to the place of the altar which he had made

there at the frost. And there Abraham call on the

name of the Lord God. And Lord also with Abraham had

flocks. Now that again point to us the

character of Abraham who allowed his nephew under him to also

prosper. It's not too much OK if he just

allow him to be serving and not have anything of his own.

Allow him to have his own OK was what eventually brought the

quarry. Am I talking to somebody?

I am not. Also, which went with Abraham

had flocks and heads and tents. So under him he had his own

business. Are you with me?

Under him he built his own houses, under him he had his own

servants, and all that would be required of him is just fill in

the vacuum and make Father Abraham to also have a sense of

fulfillment that even though I don't have a son of my own, at

least my nephew is standing there for me.

I pray again over your destiny. You will not just occupy space

irresponsibly, you will be a value hardened factor wherever

God has planted you in the name of Jesus.

So no wonder when God came up again, I will say, Abraham, I am

your sheep, I am your great reward, he said.

God stop it there. I am aging, I am going tideless

and alias of Damascus, a servant born in my house.

I'm going to get to verse chapter 24 where we studied last

week that the Babulan said he became the headest servant in

the house, the chief servant in the house that could be trusted

with covenant information and covenant assignment over the

destiny of Isaac. And the land was not able to

bear them that they might dwell together.

For their substance was great so that they could not dwell

together. And there was a stride between

the herdsmen of Abrams cattle and the herdsmen of Lord cattle

and the Canaanite, and the perisite dwell then in the land.

You know the servant. The herdsmen of Lord were not

fighting the Canaanite. Whenever I divided the perisite,

they were fighting the servant of is the Amasa's benefactor.

Ibrahim and Abraham said unto Lords, O Kuma Wahama, to be Let

there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and Dee, because the

way and the manner we are going Oreo Padadibe and between my

herdsmen and a herdsmen, for we be brethren.

Now if it were in a typical African setting, particularly in

the Yoruba culture, if a man of the status of Abraham, we say

that to a nephew. You say, for we be brave.

We say, no, Sir, you are my father.

The spirit of Christ is the spirit of a man that is mighty,

but we decide to be lonely, a safe Relivian too.

From verse 5. Let this man be in you, which

was also in Christ Jesus. Though he be equal with God, He

taughteth not a thing of entitlement.

OK, to seize that position and claim equality with God.

The Bible say, what did he do? He humbled himself even up to

the point of the death of the cross.

He humbled himself here, Abraham said with the brethren.

And the young man just accepted it like that.

And that's why I said when grace come upon you, when doors are

open to you, an opportunity come and people that are highly

placed older than you either in age or in authority or in

influence are drawing you closer.

OK, Don't see it as an opportunity for content in my

dad. If it were.

Are you with me? Let there be no insolence.

This land is not the old land before thee.

Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me.

If that will take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or

if that depart to the right hand, then I will go to the

land. And Lord did not bow his head.

What did he do? He lifted up his eyes.

Those of you who take the simplicity of elders for

granted, there is danger there. Hello.

Am I talking to somebody now? After Abraham has spoken like

that? What would be expected of a

responsible person is to do what?

Bow his head? But he didn't bow his head.

The Bible say he lifted up his eye.

All those wealth that he gathered on that father Abraham,

he lost everything because he didn't learn humility, he didn't

learn responsible living. He didn't imbibe responsible

character. He was full of himself.

He lifted up his eyes and behave all the plain of Jordan saw the

plain of Judah. The place is considered better

than where he was dwelling with Father Ibrahim.

But when he told you, you want. Your eyes is afar off, thinking

that the grass is greener on the other side, not knowing that

those green grass are poisoned grass.

He behead the plain of Jordan, that it was well, it was well

water everywhere before the Lord destroys Tudum and Gomorrah,

even as the garden of the law, like the land of Egypt, as thou

came as unto Zua. Then Lord chose him on the plane

of Jordan. He didn't allow his father to

choose for him. He chose by himself.

He chose for himself. How much of influence do you

allow God to have over your decision?

How much of influence do you allow your so-called spiritual

father to have over the critical decisions of your life?

A matter that is concluded OK? What inputs do you expect the

authority over you to have over it?

Then Lord chosen on the plain of Jordan on because I thought it

was the best when I look at that page, it was so good.

OK, I took 70%. I reserved 30% also for you,

maybe for your children in the future.

Why am I he chose him on the plain of Jordan and Lord Johnny

is, and they separated themselves the one from the

other, and Abraham dwell in the land of Canaan.

Ojo kosi bure Darcy. You look in here, will not go to

school long, long before the place was destroyed.

There was a time, OK, Marunda came and they capture him and

all his household. It was still this father Abraham

that went for his rescue and that did not give him a lesson

to reconcile. He's not teaching him a lesson

to reconcile. Am I talking to somebody?

Hebron, dreaded land of Canaan, are not dwelled in the cities of

the plain, You know. Now Abraham dwelled in the land

of Canaan. OK, that tells you the type of

development that was in the land of Canaan.

When he was there in the land of Canaan, they were dwelling

together on that tent. Now if your destiny covering is

under a tent in the village, you better stay there rather than go

to the city where the covering will be removed and your destiny

will be endangered. Am I talking to somebody?

Abraham dwell in the land of Canaan?

No any form of development was associated with the land of

Canaan as at that time. But Lord, dwell in the cities,

cities of the plane. The plane is a place where you

run easily because it's not undulating.

Are you with me? No mountain to climb, no valley

to descend to. It was a plane was under.

Was under. What about We Will Play?

And pitch is turned towards sudo, towards the land.

There's time for destruction. The 7th grace he had to even

escape the destruction of Sudo was again at the instance of

Father Ibrahim. Now this same man that you

always run to where you get your finger burnt, yet you didn't

think it wise to respect the opinion of that man, to respect

the counsel of that man. Are you stupid?

I'm asking a question. I'm not insulting you.

So if you are not stupid, then sit down and analyze your life

over and over again. Your father died.

He rescued you. He brought you under his tent.

He established you. You quarrel with him.

OK, You escape. You are captured.

OK. He came to your rescue again.

The land was to be destroyed. He was one that pleaded with the

angels that you escape, the angels were bringing you out and

you were saying go this way. He was still telling the Angel

his eyes was always up. He said not so my Lord, time we

fell off to go into that. But you can read that when the

Angel came to rescue him, the wife looked back, became a

pillar of salt. After the Angel brought man,

they just said this is where to go.

He said not so, my Lord, this is where I wanted to go, and the

place where I went, he wanted to go there.

His destiny was completely bastardized.

He became a drunkard. Not only that, he started to

sleep with his own daughters and procreated a generation of

bastard people that were on the list, equated with the people of

Canaanite to be destroyed. He threw himself out of the

covenant equation just because he will not just humble himself,

just because he will not manage opportunity properly, just

because he will not conduct himself with the right attitude

that can make destiny to prosper.

But for Eliasa Eliasa, he was born into Abraham family as a

slave but he cooperated to be raised as a son.

It went on by proper behavior and a high sense of

responsibility to become a central figure in the covenant

equation of Abraham household. It was eventually revert to as

the eldest servant in the House of Abraham.

The eldest servant in the House of what Abraham?

Do you know that there are people that change churches?

I asked them why are you changing church?

You say I've been here for too long.

That's the only question. The problem is not that I am not

getting blessed here. Are you with me?

It's not that the pastor offended me or anybody in the

church offended me, but I have been too long here.

But this, this young man, OK, he rushed through the round.

He was the eldest. And problem with many of the

people that stay very long with a leader is that they become

victim of symphonies. So when they are senior Pastor

Duhan that is that is about to lay hands so they can interpret

all gesture. By the time you announce the the

scripture you want to preach for they already know where we

start. OK, what would be the middle

point and where we end this summer?

And so they become so familiar and there is nothing so special

again. And when they anointed to be a

special man in your life, then the supernatural stuff flowing

into your destiny. Am I talking to somebody?

So it was referred to as the Elder Sabbath, the House of

Abraham, a server that could be trusted with confidence,

information and destiny related assignments.

Let's look at that assignment. It's a reiteration we are doing

today, but it has become the central message again.

So let's let's print it down there and then continue next

week because there's still much OK that this foundation has in

connection with the discipleship pattern of Jesus Christ.

When it comes to the friendship. Genesis 24, one to four.

And Abraham was who I was thinking in each.

OK, when Abraham was in the challenge that Lord was supposed

to stand with him, he was not there.

Lord was never thinking about when this man become hood who is

stand there as a circle. And I tell you that one of the

greatest challenges every man will face is the challenges of

old age, not just of heads but of loneliness.

Not of head, but of what? Of loneliness.

When you see grandpas OK, drawing closer to grandchildren

OK is an impulsive reaction, an emotional response to a vacuum

in their life. And what is that vacuum?

When they started out in life, they started with their age

mates. Maybe in their cycle they were

20 and those privilege among them, OK, that no stay and live

to be 80 and 90. OK, they will look around and

out of 20 that they will say these are my close confidant.

Maybe they have one only or two left.

So there's a huge vacuum. And that's why when you try to

push the grandchildren away from them, they keep on drawing them

to themselves because that vacuum that their friends were

vacating, they need people to fill in, to fill the gap.

But here you have their own biological children.

You are full of vision, you are full of how to make ends meet,

that you don't have their time. And so these children have their

time. These children will engage them.

These children will talk to them.

These children will ask them questions.

Even when it is stupid questions.

These grandpas, they enjoy it. Am I talking to somebody?

So these are the things that Lord didn't consider but alias

are considered it OK. He didn't look for a way to

escape from the family of Abraham and left Abraham in the

pool of loneliness at old age and Abraham Westerkin age.

And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things, but at that

moment the the physical and material blessings were not the

things that matter any longer, but posterity.

Are you with me? The outcome and heard you attain

and prosperity Dome is not the thing that matter to you Again,

what matter to you is what posterity.

Who will lead? Who will guide Isaac?

Because Isaac, Isaac was given to him at whole age.

He will need a mentor. He has mentored Lords even

though Lord didn't settle that enough to be properly mentored.

He will also need vibrant and young visionary responsible to

also do for him what he has done for other people's children.

Thank God that he was smart to quickly realize that Belocho

Bang Boriduo or Meruto Boridui Yatoju.

So we are not just settle down to be mental, OK?

Eliaza of Damascus, a servant born in his house, settled down

to be mental, made himself available to be mental and so

had told him OK, he could also now hand over the destiny of his

own biological child to him. You are not just in this world

to live a self-centered life. You are in this world to be

responsible to other people's destiny.

Have you woken up to that reality?

And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

And Abraham said unto he said, the servant of his house, that

rule over all that he had, rule over all that he had.

And he did it with excellent spirit.

Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and I will make this

way out by the Lord the God of heaven and the God of the earth,

that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of

the Canaanite among whom I dwell.

But thou shalt go on to my country and to my children, and

take a wife on to my son. I seek.

So what is the instruction here and what is the linkage to our

teaching of friendship which we are going to push forward again

next week on prescription for attaining friendship with senior

authority because alias are attain friendship with very

senior authority. So the instructive message here

is that friendship is both horizontally linear, age group

to age group, professional colleague to professional

colleague, rich man to rich man. So that is the natural level of

a friendship. But there's another radical

level as passed by Jesus and which we have studied in the

family of Father Abraham. We are his servants, rules to

become a confidant of his master.

So the friendship is both or certainly linear and also

practically practicable. And if you are the one that is

junior in the equation, it is only by responsible behavior

that you can rise and get connected to a higher authority

and your destiny will be fully fulfilled.

God bless you, I say, God bless you and grant you grace to make

good use of the lessons in this message in Jesus name.

We believe you'll be blessed by the ministry of this message.

You will do well to be the doer of all you've heard.

For further inquiry and spiritual help, contact this

number is 08035685882 or worship with us at Oasis of Wisdom Bible

Church or Justin's University of Ellorin Teaching Hospital.

O Kelsey Ellorin, God bless you.