I'm going to ask you now to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs, chapter
18. Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 24. Proverbs 18, 24. Very familiar passage of scripture.
We've heard it. I've quoted it many times. Never
preached out of it. and glorious revelation in this blessed
passage. Proverbs 18.24, the scripture
declares a man that hath friends must show himself friendly. And there is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother. a friend, a real friend. I had an uncle
that lived in New Orleans and he told me one time, he said,
if you come to the end of your life and you can truthfully say
that you have as many fingers on one hand, you can say that
that's how many friends. He said, you're truly a blessed
man. Maybe so. I would pray it would be with
me. I've got some dear friends in this room here. What is the characteristic of
a friend? Now I'm talking about a friend. I'm talking about a friend. Here's
what the scripture has to say about a friend. A friend is one
that will For his friend, give all. He'll give all. The Lord Jesus Christ said, John
15, 13, greater love hath no man than this. Now here's the
greatest exhibition of love to a friend. That a man laid down
his life for his friends. The second thing that the scripture
says about a friend is that he'll be honest with you. Proverbs 27.6, faithful are the
wounds, and that is the loving corrections of a friend. But the kisses of an enemy are
deceitful. Don't put any confidence in what
someone tells you that's not your friend. When it comes to
them wanting to tell you something that's for your good or something,
don't put any confidence in it. If Almighty God has not said
it, especially, don't put any confidence in it. Thirdly, this
is what I know about a friend. They're always your friend. They're
consistent. A friend loveth at all times
and a brother is born for adversity. They're not fair weather. They're
not weekend warriors. A friend is your friend. He's your friend. He'll stick
with you. When you're up, when you're down,
he'll be your friend. He loves you. He's honest with
you. He'll give all for you. Whatever
you need, whatever is in His power to give, He'll give it.
Why? Because you're His friend. Now
our passage today deals with something that reveals what a true friend
is. A true friend. And then what
a true friend is not. Well, somebody says they're your
friend or not. A man that has friends must show
himself friendly. Now, let me tell you what I understand. I'm just naturally, I'm just
talking to you now. I need to be kind, and gracious. Maurice Montgomery
told me that one time. He said, Marvin, you can always
be gracious. Always be gracious. Just whatever,
whatever the situation, just be kind. For me to have or to expect somebody
to be gracious and kind to me, I need to be kind and gracious
to them. Now that makes sense to me. You
know, nobody likes somebody that's just mean and unkind and ungracious. They just don't like them. Brother
Henry Mahan told me one time, he said, you know Marvin, we're
commanded to love our enemies. He said, therefore, we love them.
We want to be honest with them. Tell them the truth. Tell them
the truth about themselves. Tell them the truth about God.
Tell them the truth about salvation. He said, if you love somebody,
you'll be honest with them. He said, we love our enemies. He said, we were born human beings. They're flesh and blood just
like I am. We're from the same race of creation. They're human
beings or human beings together. So we love them. He said, there's
some of them I just don't like. I just don't like them. Don't
like their attitude, don't like their disposition, you know,
I don't like what they say to me. But I tell you this, I know
this, we're drawn to kindness. If a man has friends, he must
show himself friendly. And that's good advice. I would
be the first one to tell you that. But that's not what this
passage is saying. I wanted to go ahead and say
that because that's what everybody assumes that it's saying. If
a man is going to have friends, he must show himself to be friendly. Now, I want us to just look at
what is truly being said here So we can understand what the
Scripture is setting forth in this passage of Scripture. You
know, when we look at the Proverbs, have you ever noticed that every
time Proverbs is set forth, we take a verse of Scripture and
it gives one side and then the other. You know, this is the
bad part, but here's the good part. You know, this is not what
you want to be doing. This is right way, right here.
This is not who you want to be hanging around with. This is
who you want to be with. You know, there's a contrast. There's a
contrast to it in the Proverbs. It says up the top of my Bible,
moral virtues and their contrary vices. Well, I understand that. But there's something about this
passage of Scripture. that doesn't come out at first
concerning what's truly being said here. To understand what
this scripture is saying, let's look at what is being set forth. A man that hath, and that word
friends right there, And you can look this up, check me out
on this because what I'm about to tell you is probably not what
you've heard concerning this scripture right here before.
But check me out, get you a strong concordance, get you a good concordance
and look it up. The word friends right here,
it means an associate. an associate. Now it does, it
does, it can mean kind, friendly, loving associates, but in the
context of what I'm about to tell you about friendly, looking
at this passage of scripture in its context of what's being
said, this passage of scripture says a man that hath associates
must show himself friendly. And here's what the word, and
it's all one meaning, show himself friendly is one, you know, and
here's what it means. To spoil, to make good for nothing
bad. It has a bad connotation. A man that has associates must
show himself to be just like they are. That's what he's saying. To associate with that which
is not good, you're going to have to have the same attitude.
Birds of a feather, you know. A man that hath associates, not
in a good way. Must be just like him. He's going
to have to show himself, and the word friendly there, it means
he's going to have to show himself friendly toward them. Now, I want you to take James
chapter 4, James 4.4. Here's what the Lord has commanded
us to do. And I'm going to show you, just
a second, where I'm going with this. So you don't have to wonder
where I'm going. Let me tell you where I'm going.
A man that's going to associate with those that do not love the
God of this Bible, love the preaching of the gospel of God's free grace,
love God's people, love that which is right and honorable
and pleasing toward Him. A man that's going to associate
himself with them, with them. He's going to have to have that
same attitude. Remember Judas, it's amazing,
you go back and read when Judas betrayed the Lord. He came with
all the chief priests and the soldiers and all the high dignitaries
and this is what it says, and Judas stood with them. He stood
with them. Associated himself with them. James 4.4. Ye adulterers and
adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God." A friend of this world's
religion, a friend of this world's thoughts concerning salvation
by man's works instead of by grace. They say by grace. But
they don't believe grace. They believe God graciously offers,
but they don't believe that salvation is by grace. A man that will
associate himself with this world and its religion and its manners
and its loves and its cares, that man is going to have to
think just like they do. How can two walk together unless
they be in agreement? Look at Matthew 6.24. Matthew
6.24. Matthew 6, 24, no man can serve
two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or else he'll hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and this world, man and this world. I think how we talk about You
know, how the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of all
men. Let me tell you something. Almighty
God created all men and all souls are His. Soul of the father,
soul of the son, soul of the son that's going to die. He's
the creator of all things. All things were made by Him.
He is God and owns all things. But I'm telling you, Almighty
God is the Father to His elect and His precious Son according
to His sovereign will, His good pleasure. And a man that does
not bow to Him as the Father, sovereign in election, sovereign
in salvation, sovereign in redemption, sovereign in regeneration, he's
not the friend of God. A man that hath friends, associates,
must show himself to be what God says he is. Evil. Just like they are. What are
we to do? Look at 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians
6. What are we commanded to do?
2 Corinthians 6, 17, 18. 2 Corinthians 6, 17, 18, Wherefore,
come out from among them and be you separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will
be a father unto you. You shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty. We do not associate ourselves
with the worship of this world. The literal of that passage right
there, first part, verse 24, Proverbs 18, 24, is this, a man
of associates may be broken up. I'm telling you, I know that
when Judas stood with them, he exposed his heart. Friends, friends, a man that
hath friends. Let me tell you what these friends
are. I told you a moment ago, you talk about a picture of false
religion, false prophets. The scripture sets forth in Micah.
Let me read this to you. I'm going to turn next to Jeremiah
9 if you want to. Micah chapter 7, verse 5 to 7. Micah 7, verse 5 to 7. Trust
ye not in a friend. I looked up that word, Carl,
same word, associate. Don't trust him in an associate.
Put you no confidence in that guide, in a guide. Keep the doors
of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoreth
the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of
his own house. Therefore, I will look unto the
Lord. I will wait for the God of my
salvation. My God will hear me." Solomon
is saying back in Proverbs, 1824, don't trust in one that does
not set forth the glory of God Almighty in the face of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Don't put any trust in him, don't
put any confidence in him. A man that's going to have associates, that man's going to smart for
it. Jeremiah 9, Jeremiah chapter 9, verse 4. Take heed, take ye heed every
one of his neighbor, his friends, his associates.
Take heed every one of his neighbor and trust ye not in any brother,
for every brother will utterly supplant, every neighbor will
walk with slanders. Solomon is warning us in Proverbs
18.24. There are those that claim to
be friends. That claim to be your friend. I love you. And they will stand
in pulpits and lie to you. Jude chapter 1. Look at Jude
1. One chapter in Jude. Jude 1.
Look at verse 10 to 13. Here's what the scripture has
to say about men. That is the very opposite, because
I'm getting ready to tell you about the true friend. The true
friend. These are the friends that are
on the opposite side. These associates call themselves
friends. Jude chapter 1 verse 10 to 13. These speak evil of those things
which they know not, because what they know naturally Now that's a man that'll stand
in a pulpit. A person that does not know God. Naturally, they're going to tell
you what comes out of their heart. Naturally. The natural man, the
carnal mind. You know what the carnal mind
thinks when it hears of God's sovereignty? God's electing grace? That's not fair. That's natural.
That's a natural thought. Why? Because it's enmity against
God. It doesn't believe God. These
speak evil of those things which they know not, but what they
know naturally, as brute beasts in those things, they corrupt
themselves. Woe unto them! For they have
gone in the way of Cain, and run greedily after the error
of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Corrie.
These are spots in your feast of charity. When they feast with
you, feeding themselves without fear, clouds they are without
water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth without
fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, raging waves of
the sea foaming out their own shame, wandering stars to whom
is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. They're not
your friend. They're not your friend. They'll
tell you that they're your friend. They'll tell you that they love
you. And I'm telling you, if they're telling you that which
is contrary to these scriptures, they're liars. They're liars. They're not your friend. Back
in Proverbs 18, 24. Now, a man that hath friends,
associates, he must show himself to be just like them. Just like them, that's what the
word friendly, friendly to them, friendly toward them. And there is a friend, there's
a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. There is a friend
that gave all. The Lord Jesus Christ said concerning
His crucifixion, John 10, 15, He said, I laid down my life
for the sheep. I laid down my life for the sheep.
God Almighty, the Father, He so loved the world. I've told you that world right
there. You look at that world. It doesn't mean every man, every
woman without distinction. The arrangement. The order of
man. The order of man. You leave the
order of man to itself to do what it wants to do, how it wants
to do it, and let me tell you what would happen. It would all
perish. Paul said, if God had not left us a seed, if there
wouldn't have been a remnant of elect, of the elect, we'd
all been like Sodom and Gomorrah. We'd all perish. When men speak
of election as being unfair, election, Kevin, is the greatest
exhibition of the mercy of God. That God would not allow the
entire human race to perish. There's a friend. He said, I
lay down my life for my friends. He said, you're my friends. You
do that which I command you. He's the one that's honest. Only
one that's ever been honest, the Lord Jesus Christ, the true
and faithful witness. He's the prophet from God. He
has revealed the name. I'm going to deal with that in
John 17, just next service. He said, I've revealed unto them.
He's praying to his father. His last high priestly prayer,
last part of that high priestly prayer. He said, I've given them.
I've revealed your name to them. He's the one that loveth at all
times. This friendship of the Lord Jesus Christ. A friend that
sticketh closer than a brother. One that will not forsake you. He said, I will never, I'll never
leave you. I'll never forsake you. Those
disciples that loved him, and they loved him. They loved the
Lord Jesus Christ. Peter, right there after, you
know, the Lord was risen, you know, Peter saw him, they saw
him, he was on the seashore there, and he came and he was cooking
some fish. He asked him, he said, Peter,
lovest thou me more than these? Ask him three times. And Peter,
at last, he said, Lord, you know all things. Can you imagine what's
going through Peter's mind? The Lord has told him, he said,
you're going to deny me three times before that cock crows
twice. And he did. He did. But he said, Lord, you know. Peter
was one of the ones that forsook him after his crucifixion. He
ran. He left. Came back. After he
came back, then he denied him. But he left just like all the
others did. But he said, Lord, you know I
love you. This friend right here is the
one that will never forsake. He'll never leave his people. This is the one that loveth at
all times. Jeremiah 31.3, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love. I'll begin to think on the love
of God. And I get lost. I can't even comprehend what
I'm thinking. The love of God, never wavering,
never deviating. For me, if He loves me now, He's
always loved me. Because He never changes. This
is the friend. There is, now look at that, and
there is a friend. There's only one. I wish I could
tell you, I wish I could just be as honest as I, I wish I could,
I wish I could truthfully believe this in my heart, but I know
just enough about myself. As much as I love you, I can
tell you this, believe me, there would always be, and you'd have
to admit this too because of the frailty of our flesh, there's
always that point at which we would deviate in our love for
each other. You say, I'd never deviate from
you Marvin. Yeah, Peter said that to the
Lord. He said, I've loved you with
an everlasting love. I'll never leave you. This friend
right here. This friend. And this is the
friend I've got to have. I've got to have this friend.
He eternally stood as my surety before God. I will answer for
Marvin. I'll answer. Whatever. Whatever is demanded. Ephesians
1.4 said God the Father chose us in Him, chose His people,
chose His elect before the foundation of the world that they should
be holy and without blame before Him and love and trusted the
Son to accomplish that. I cannot make myself holy. I
cannot make myself without blame before God. But my friend can. And he did. And when he said,
it's finished, it's finished. You know what? He was the end
of the law for righteousness. There was no other obedience
needed, no other obedience could be accomplished. He finished
it. This is my beloved Son in whom
I'm well pleased. This friend, this only friend,
a friend, He has eternally stood as my guarantor. I'll guarantee
it. The Father They gave to the son
a people. And the son says, I'll stand
for them. I'll answer for them. I'll be
their representative. This friend, he paid every debt
I owed before God. And I don't have any idea what
I owed. I don't even know the depth of
the debt. I don't know what the debt is, but I can tell you this. What this friend paid, he paid
in full. And he paid with his precious
blood. And this is what the Father says,
when I see the blood, I'm going to pass over you. I'm going to pass over you. Lord,
pass over me. Lord, don't look upon me in judgment.
Lord, my friend has answered for me. My friend. My friend
fulfilled the law on my behalf. Can you imagine, I can't either,
the obligation to the law of God, the exactness. Here again, I don't even know
what, in word and thought and deed, I can't even pray consistently. Obey God's law without any deviation,
even in thought. What if you never saw it? God
did. He stood for me. He died for His people. And concerning the fulfillment
of the law, on my behalf, he obeyed God and God the Father
said of him, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. You hear him and his obedience,
his obedience imputed to me and in him, in him, robed in his
righteousness, God Almighty does not treat me as if I am righteous. He does not treat me as if I'm
holy. In Christ, I am holy. I am holy. This, my friend, has
answered for me that I should be holy in Him. Now if you want to talk about
outside of Him, now we've got a problem. But in Him, I have
no blame. Holy and without blame. It is by the faith of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And His obedience imputed to
me. It's mine. If we told that woman
that had that issue of blood, he said, daughter, your faith
hath made you whole. Her faith and the object of her
faith. This friend having accomplished
redemption for me, let me tell you what my friend has done.
Now here's a friend. Let me tell you what my friend
has done. I keep talking about these dear friends. I've got
precious people. My friend, the things that you've
done for me. Let me tell you what my friend
has done. After he rose from the dead,
and me and him, my friend ascended into heaven. he ascended into
heaven on his own merit. He ascended into heaven according
to his own merit and took possession of his kingdom,
his rightful kingdom in the name of his people. He ascended into
heaven. He went into heaven Because in
heaven, he said, in his father's house, there's many mansions. This is what the friend of God's
sheep has done. He ascended into heaven and he
said, I'm going there to prepare a place for you. In the presence
of God, I'm going to prepare a place for you. And he said,
this is the reason I'm doing it, that where I am, There you
may be also. Now that's a friend. That's a
friend. Let me tell you what my friend
did. I was born in sin and I came
forth from my mother's womb a liar, speaking lies. And in blindness
and darkness, I was wrathful toward him. While I was yet a
sinner, let me tell you what my friend did. He died for me. I said a while ago, paid my debt,
earned my righteousness. And then, in the fullness of
time, when it pleased God, And this is through the foolishness
of what the world calls foolishness. What this message right here.
The world will say, you've got to be kidding me. You think that
that's it? This is it. This is it. Through
this message right here. The message of God's sovereign
grace. Sovereign grace. Through the
foolishness of preaching. Would it please God? I'll tell
you what He did. He sent His gospel. Blessed by His Holy Spirit. And He came to me in power. And
He, in part, He gave me a new nature. He gave me a new heart. He gave me a new mind. He rebirthed me, is what He did.
I was born from above. This is what my friend did. Born
from above. And He gave me a new will. I had an old will that would
do nothing but run from God. That's all I ever wanted to do.
But He gave me a new will. He made me willing in the day
of His power. And He gave me a new desire.
He gave me a new desire to come to Him. And He said, He that
cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out. And in power and grace,
he said to me, Marvin, come here. And I said, Lord, I want to come. And he said, I'm not going to
cast you out. I'm not casting you out. And now he ever liveth as my great high priest. Here's
the one that's interceding. The mediator between God and
myself. I need a mediator. I need one
that will speak to God on my behalf. And I need one that God
will hear on my behalf and accept me on His behalf. And that's
my friend. And he takes up every care, every
care of mine. and he's concerned about every
care that I have, everything. He tells me, cast all your cares
upon me. Here's the reason. He said, I
care for you. I care for you. The One spoke
this world into existence and upholds all things by the word
of His power. The One that by whom all things
consist And he hears my prayer when I
struggle to ask him. And I'll tell you what my friend
does. He has sent his angels as ministering spirits to minister
to. I don't even know what I need. ministered for. But I'll tell
you this, that's awfully comforting to me. Ministering spirits. And let me tell you what else.
Very soon. Very soon. Whether it's in death,
going the way of all the earth, Paul says, whether he's coming
back and I'll be alive when he comes back and I'll hear the
trump and I'll I'll see him and look and all the saints that
sleep in the Lord are going to rise first. I'm not going to
precede them if I'm here when he comes back. But if I die and
I'm in that ground, I'll tell you what, he's coming back. He's
coming back for me. He's promised that he would.
And my friend is a true and faithful witness. He's not a liar. My friend. is the heir of God
and I'm a joint heir with him. He is the friend of sinners and
I'm a sinner and I make no claim to be anything else. And he's
called me his friend. He called me his friend. He said, I'm your friend. He's
my friend because he chose to be my friend. He was pleased
to be my friend. And I tell you, my friend is
the Lord our righteousness. That's who He is. And I'm going to see Him real
soon. This is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. This is
the friend that every sinner needs, and by the grace of God,
has. Lord bless these words to our
heart for Christ's sake.