Now you can open your Bible to
Proverbs 18. Proverbs chapter 18. Excuse me. Let's read one verse, verse twenty-four. A man that hath friends must
show himself friendly. And there is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother. Though I have preached from this
before, As I said, it is almost one year to the day that I preach
from this text. Because of the importance of
it, I feel as though I should preach from this text at least
once a year. I have basically five reasons
why I am preaching from this text—five reasons. for this message. Number one, I want to point us
to Christ. I want to glorify Christ and
comfort you. And your greatest source of comfort
is the Lord Himself. I want to point you to Christ.
Number two, my reason for bringing this message is I need such a
friend. I need a true friend. that stick
it closer than a brother. Number three, I want to be such a friend. I want
to know what it means to be a friend, to be a friend like this, the
Bible kind of friendship. Number four, I believe in studying
this that it will make us all to be more friendly. I want to
endeavor to make us all more friendly. And number five, lastly,
I'm preaching this message to point us to Christ. Say, you've
already said that. I know. I'm going to start there
and bring you right back there. All right? Now, the Lord, in
speaking of the last days, in speaking of the last days,
I believe it was Matthew 24, I didn't write it down, but he
said The love of many shall wax cold. Paul said in his epistle to young
Timothy that men shall be lovers of their own selves. He said
they would be without natural affection. They'd be truce breakers. Truce breakers. Were you ever
a blood brother with a buddy, a friend growing up? You know,
you scratch your, you never cut yourself. A little scratch. Or
if you had a little mishap and you scratched yourself, it's
good. I don't have to do that now. But you seem like you had
a bond, a friendship that would never cease. Well, it did. Truce
breakers. Friendships don't last. Real
and lasting friendships are hard to come by. It's sad that even in these days
even. Some of you. Call yourself believers
even some of you complain of not having a friend. Do you have you ever done that
I don't have a true friend. I know yeah. Now some, and I'm going to deal
with this a little more later, but some may genuinely be able
to make that complaint that I don't have a true friend, the complaint
of unrequited love. You know what unrequited love
is? I had many of them growing up. You know, you love a girl
or think you do and try to win her heart, but she's just not
interested in you. That's unrequited love, where you show love and
affection towards someone and they don't show it back. Some people may be able to genuinely
make that complaint that they don't have any true friendship
and unrequited love and friendship, that they made an effort to be
friendly and be a friend, only to not have it returned to them. Some may be able to do that.
have only themselves to blame for, according to our text here. And I'm going to deal with that
a little more later. But first, we're going to deal with the
last part of this verse first, and the first last. We're going
to deal with the last first and the first last. The last part
of this verse says, There is for him. Let's stick it closer to the
brother. As I said, my number one reason in preaching this
message is to point us to Christ. Not to me, not to you, but to
point us to Christ, to point us to Him. Jesus Christ is that
friend that sticketh closer than a brother. I looked up the definition
of friend in that big dictionary I have. It's a good thing. I'm
glad I've got it. People make fun of my big dictionary.
It covers half my day. That's the reason I need a bigger
top on my desk. But that thing has so many good
definitions in it. Listen to these definitions of
a friend. There's just a dictionary definition of a friend. A friend
is one who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect
and affection that he seeks his society, his welfare, and to
be an intimate associate of his. I like that. Don't you? A friend
is one who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect,
and affection that he seeks his or her society and welfare and
to be an intimate associate." The second definition was this,
one who looks propitiously upon another with favor, a promoter
of one's cause. Thirdly, he gave this word, a
paramour. Paramount means nothing more
than a sweetheart. Paramount a sweetheart. Is there
such a one friend like that. There's one there's one Jesus
Christ is that friend who entertains for sinners such sentiments of
esteem respect and affection that he sought their society
and their welfare. and to be an intimate associate
of theirs. Jesus Christ is that friend who
looked propitiously upon them and favorably upon sinners to
promote their cause. Jesus Christ is that lover, that
sweetheart, that paramour of sinners. I am thy beloved, and
he is mine. Listen to these scriptural definitions
of a friend. They're better. Job said this in Job chapter
6. He said, To him that is afflicted,
pity should be shown from his friend. To him that is afflicted,
pity should be shown from his friend. Doesn't that speak of
Christ? I want you to look at this verse
with me. I was just thrilled when I saw it in reference to
that. Isaiah 63. Isaiah 63. He said in Job 6,
verse 14, to him that is afflicted. Now listen carefully now. You'll get a blessing here. You
compare Scriptures with Scripture. This is where the blessing is.
I cannot recommend to you any more. And he gives you better
advice in this thing of reading scriptures than to run scriptural
references. If you're having trouble understanding or entering
into a passage, look at the margin, because men of God, who the Lord
used to translate the scriptures in our language, did so by comparing
scriptures with scripture diligently. It's called a revised edition,
diligently revising and revising or comparing scriptures with
scriptures to get the true meaning of the original text. And I couldn't
give you any better advice than that, than to compare scriptures
with scriptures. Look up your scriptural references.
Now, he said in Job 6, to him that is afflicted, pity should
be showed from his friend. Well, Christ showed pity all
right. Didn't he? Look at Isaiah 63, verse 9. In all their affliction, he was
afflicted. And the angel of his presence
saved them in his love and in his pity, he redeemed them and
buried them. That word, bury, means carry
them on his shoulder. And carried them all the days
of old. To him that is afflicted, pity
should be shown from his friend. In all their afflictions, he
was afflicted, and in his love and in his pity, he redeemed
them. That's beautiful, isn't it? Here's another scriptural
definition of a friend. Proverbs 17. Turn over there.
Proverbs 17. We'll stay in Proverbs now, look
at a few of these. Proverbs 17, and I'm going to
practically apply this thing. in a moment, but we have to see
him first. I point you to him, this friend
that sticks closer than a brother. This will comfort you. Proverbs
17, verse 17 says, A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Christ said, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness I have The
scripture says who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who
or what? Nothing, no one. A friend loveth,
a true friend, a friend loveth when you're rich or when you're
poor. Right? A friend loveth when you're
young and when you're old. They don't give you up when you
become old. Chances are they have become old too. A friend
loves through thick or thin, up or down, good or bad, in favor
or out of favor with other people. That's a friend, and that's Christ. That's Christ's love for his
friend. You know, the old saying is, a friend in need is a friend
indeed. That is, in other words, if you're
in need, a real friend is one who will be friendly to you when
you're in need, not when you're well off. for what they can get
out of you. A friend in need, someone who
will be a friend to you while you're in need, is a friend indeed. Well, it says here that Christ
is that brother who is born for adversity. He is that brother. He is that one who is born for
adversity, that friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs
27, turn over there. Proverbs 27. Listen to this scriptural
definition of a friend. Proverbs 27, verse 5 and 6. Open rebuke is better than secret
love. Faithful are the wounds of a
friend. You know, the Lord chastens those
that he loves. All his friends receive an open
rebuke from him. No, he doesn't try to—all of
his words to us aren't honey and sweetness, but rebuke, right? All Scriptures are given by inspiration
of God and are profitable for doctrine, for correction, for
rebuke, for rebuke, correction, instruction in righteousness. Open rebuke is better than secret
love. He calls all of his friends—first
thing he calls them. those that he has reconciled
to himself, he calls them helpless, hopeless, undone, wretched, unclean,
vile, polluted, unrighteous sinners. That's open rebuke, isn't it?
Open rebuke. But then he gives, after the
open rebuke, he gives not secret love, but open love. Open love. Then he calls us sinners
first, and then in love he calls us sons. He calls us enemies
first. The natural mind is enmity against
God. Then he calls us friends after
we realize we've been made reconciled to him. Then he calls us friends.
Hope and rebuke are better than secret love. Look at verse six
again. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. Faithful are the wounds of a
friend. Do you catch the meaning of that? I think there's two
thoughts here. By wounding us with this open
rebuke, by wounding us, he is faithful. In other words, you, when you,
if you want a true friend, you want somebody to tell you the
truth, don't you? A true friend will tell you the
truth. Paul said, am I becoming your
enemy because I tell you the truth? No. You've become my best
friend, you see. He says there, the second part
of that verse, the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
We're not to try to pacify people all the time, but it's, we oughtn't
need to tell them the truth. If we're a friend to somebody,
we tell them the truth. But truth, everything Christ
said, is true. Remember those three things I
gave you that you should weigh all of your speech in reference
to three things. Number one, is it true? In other
words, you're going to talk about somebody or to somebody. Is it
true? Beyond a shadow of a doubt, what
you're saying is true. Is it necessary? Is it necessary
that you say this? Number three is a kind. Everything
Christ says is true. It's absolutely vital. It's necessary. It's eternally necessary. And
it's kind. Everything he says is absolutely
the best thing that we could hear. Everything. God's Word.
He is truth. Isn't that what he said? I am
the truth. Not only what I say is true, but I am the truth.
There's no guile in him. You like to have a friend like
that? I mean somebody. There's no guile in him. No guile,
no falsehood, no lies whatsoever. Never, ever any injustices in
them. No ulterior motives. None. No ulterior motives. No selfishness
on their part. Totally sacrificial love and
concern and compassion and tenderness and thoughtfulness towards you.
Wouldn't you like to have a friend like that? There is a friend.
There's only one. Jesus Christ. And the one who
will be more like a friend like that to you is the one who's
most like Christ. He is true, just, faithful in all his dealings. It says that in several scriptures.
In all his dealings, he's just. Especially with his friends.
With his friends. The second part of this verse
here, he wounds us. He's faithful to us by wounding
us. Tell us the truth. He tells us the truth, not what
we want to hear, not what will make us feel good, but truth,
what we need to hear. Right? Number two, Christ proved
his faithfulness to us by his wounds. By his wounds. Greater love hath no man than
this, we read. Then he lay down his life for
his friends. The Lord Jesus Christ, seeing
the desperate condition of his friends, looking on the things
of others, seeing the desperate condition of his friends, seeing
their certain doom and ultimate destination, destruction, seeing
their sin and their misery, he came down and was made sin for
them. He who knew no sin was made sin for them, that they
might be made the righteousness of God in him. He took their
place. Greater love hath no man than
this. And he lay down his life, switched places with a friend. And because our sins were laid
on him, he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our
iniquities. By his stripes we are healed. And those are faithful
wounds, aren't they? Faithful wounds of the friend.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin.
Now, here's another biblical definition. Matthew 11. You don't
have to turn. They said it in derision of him.
The Pharisees, the scribes, They were making fun of him when they
said this. But they said he's going to be
the guest of publicans and sinners. And they said, well, he's a friend
of publicans and sinners. I know a couple of people who
let out a big amen. Zacchaeus, he was one such publican. Matthew, Ed, was one such publican. He let out an amen. I'm sure
glad he's a friend of publicans, or I wouldn't have one. You wouldn't
have a friend on this planet if Christ didn't say, Matthew,
follow me and I'll be your friend. Sinners, I know one old gal who
was mighty glad to have him as her friend because everybody
who was anybody turned thumbs down on her one day, brought
her in before the Lord that he might accuse her and condemn
her like they were. But it ended up, they all left,
and he stayed. He stuck close. And she stuck
close to him from that day forward, too. He stuck closer than a brother. He became her friend, the only
one she had. A man to have friends, the Scripture
says, our text says, must show himself friendly. Christ did,
didn't he? Huh? Listen to these ways that
our Lord showed himself friendly. Listen, he did, number one, he
showed himself friendly by his condescension. Though rich, he
became poor. Though equal with God, he became
a servant. Didn't he show himself friendly
toward sinners by condescending from the infinite majesty and
glory of the throne of God down here to be with us? I was talking
to some of them this afternoon about working with the Special
Olympians. What a privilege, what a blessing. I'm the one that, Mindy and I
are the ones that receive the blessing, as well as my daughter
receiving tremendous instruction and a lesson there in dealing
with people. But you know there's some, you
have to condescend to their level. You have to get down and deal
with them as they are. They're very simple, very simple. and poor and pitiful, really. You know, the Scripture says
the Lord preserved the simple. That's the reason I verily believe
that all such people as that are the Lord's people. I believe
that. I really do. He hid these things
from the wise and the prudent. But our Lord, how about His condescension
down to us simpletons? Did He not have to abase himself
and humble himself and bring himself way down to deal with
us on our level? Huh? What condescension? What love? Number two, he proved
his love or his friendship toward us by his life and his empathy
for us. Life and empathy. He said, Behold
and see if there be any sorrow like mine. You see, Vicki, he
knows that you're going to be sorrowful. He knows that. He knows, Garnet, that you're
going to be sorry, that you're going to lose a loved one, one
you love dearly. And he had to know what it felt
like. And so he came down here. He willingly afflicted himself,
and he lost a loved one. He waited. You know, he loved
Lazarus. They said, Lord, he whom thou loved is sick. He loved. The Scripture said he loved Lazarus
and his sister, Martha and Mary, and he loved them. He waited
till he died to know how you feel. And he went to that grave. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. He went to
that grave and he rabbed Garnet over one he loved. We have not a high priest who's
not touched with the feeling of our infirmity, but is tempted
in all points like as we are. He knows how we feel. His life
and his empathy, he said, behold and see if there be any sorrow
like mine. Anybody lonely? Nobody been lonely like Christ. Anybody troubled? His soul was
exceedingly sorrowful and troubled even unto death. Anybody in here
sweat blood through their pores because of their troubles? No.
You haven't resisted striving against sin, resisted unto blood
striving against sin. He was touched with the feeling
of our infirmities. It says when he went to Lazarus'
tomb, he groaned within in his spirit and troubled himself. If you look that up sometimes,
it means that he troubled him. He didn't have to go through
that, but he did. Thirdly, he proved his love or his friendship
by his death. By his death. Now, Paul said
in Romans 5, now scarcely for a righteous man would one die. That is, you take, here, me.
You think I'm a righteous man, don't you? I'm a religious man.
I'm a preacher. I'm a righteous man. Now, would
you die for me? Would you? Well, you think, well,
maybe his life is worth more than mine or somebody else's. A righteous believer. A righteous
man. You think, well, yeah, I'd die
for him. Maybe. Maybe. Well, for a good
man, some would maybe even die. I mean, now take just a nominally
good, moral, upright fellow you work with, a good old Joe, you
know, a good old Bob, a good old Steve, you know, a nice fellow,
a nice girl, a nice woman, good to her kids and good to her friends
and all that. You might die for them. It's
very doubtful. But God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners. Would anybody go down
and die for a harlot? Huh? Would you even think about
it? He did. Greater love hath no man than
this. Right? Behold what manner of love. Behold. God was in Christ reconciling
the world to himself. And lastly, he proved his love
or his friendship. He showed himself friendly by
his last will and testament. What if, Violet, what if I die
before you do, and they read my will and testament? I don't
have one. I better write one up. But if they read it, if I
get it written, and they read it, and you come to the reading
of that will, and you find that I've left everything to you,
what would you think? Would that prove my friendship?
That's what I'm trying to say. He must have really thought a
lot of me. He must have been, what a friend,
right? What a friend to leave me everything. Christ, while he was facing that
torturous death, going to the cross, he'd just finished sweating
blood. He had to soothe his friends. He was the one that was troubled.
They weren't. They were sleeping. And he sat
them down and soothed them and talked to them real kindly. Then
while hanging on the cross now, get a load of this, nails through
his wrists or his hands, through his feet, thorns shoved down
on his brow, hadn't eaten in about four days, his tongue sticking
to the roof of his mouth, could barely talk, hanging there in
the utmost misery of any human, his disease marred more than
any man, more pain and suffering than any man ever, ever, ever. Hanging there on that cross,
looks down and sees John, whom he loved, the beloved disciple,
it said. Looks down, looks at him, looks
at Mary, his earthly mother, and says, He's going to make sure she's
taken care of. In the midst of all his pain and agony and suffering
he was thinking on the things of a woman. Behold our son. In other words Mary you go live
with him from here on out. He'll take care of his son. Behold
thy mother. Y'all take care of one another. And then before leaving, he confirmed
his love and his friendship toward his disciples by giving them
his last will and testament. He says, everything I have is
yours. I'm leaving you everything. All
you have to do is ask for it. You got a blank check, a blank
check to draw from. All right, number two, I said
the reason, five reasons why, and I'll hurry through these,
five reasons why. Number one, I want to point you
to Christ. Five reasons for preaching from this text. Number one was
to point you to Christ. There is a friend. He sticks
closer than a brother. And greater loveth no man than
this friend. And he proved it by his life,
by his condescension, by his death, by his will and testament
to us. Number two. Number two reason
is this. I need a friend like that. You know, we all go through these
pity... These self-pity trips don't. Some of us more than others.
Some too many times. We all, whenever we get into
it, it's too much. We're real good at pitying ourselves
and not very good at pitying others. Right? We all go through
these self-pities. I don't have a friend. I remember
I used to go out and sit with my dog. I had a 200-pound, Steve,
I had a 210-pound St. Bernard. He was bigger than I
am. And I'd sit and he had a doghouse about this big and I'd get in
that doghouse with him. I need one now, Stan. That's
where Mindy would like to keep me. I used to go out there and
get in that dog house, big old dog head, and sit with him and
just cry, especially when my parents got after me. I don't
have a friend. You're my only friend. He'd smile
at me and slobber on me. He's my only friend. And we all
still get into those pity trips, don't we? I don't have a friend.
Nobody loves me. And I know that you need to drop
that in a minute, don't you? But I do need a friend. I do
need such a friend that sticks closer because I'm the chief
of centers. You see, I don't see how anybody
would. This would make you stop pitying yourself. Why would anybody
want me as a friend anyway? Huh? If you really thought you
were the chief of centers, what would make you feel like you
deserved anybody's friendship anyway? Huh? But I feel like
I'm the chief of sinners. I mean, really, I'm not just
saying that to sound good to you. I really do feel like I'm the
chief of sinners, the biggest hypocrite in here. And I need
a friend, somebody that'll still be my friend, even though I'm
a hypocrite to the max. And feeling myself to be unlovely,
I need somebody to love me in spite of that, don't you? There's
an old saying that a true friend is somebody that can see right
through you and still enjoy the view. Christ knows us. He still loves
us. Just think about that. And being
so ungodly and unchristlike, I need somebody to have some
patience with me, somebody to put up with me. I can't call you up and get any
help out of you because you've got the same problem, don't you?
Oh, we can say, yeah, we can empathize with one another. We
can't do anything about it. Christ can. He can. The song says temptations lose
their power when thou art nigh. And there is some strength in
numbers. There is help in the company of other believers. That's
the reason we do need to seek out one another. There is help
to be had. And I feel troubled and scared
at times. I need a big brother. At times
I wish I had my oldest brother was. At times I wish I had a
big brother to go to. Don't you? Go to my big brother,
you know, and let him handle it. I used to do that, you know,
I was always little, but I had two bigger brothers and nobody
touched me. Nobody picked on me. Why? Because I was tough. I tried
to act like it. Little guys do that, don't they,
Stan? Try to act tough. But I had two bigger brothers,
that's the reason they left me alone. And I need a big brother. Now, even. And the scripture
says he's not ashamed to call them brethren. We got a big brother.
We can go to any time. Lord, help me. Satan is bullying
me. Would you take care of him? And there's times I feel, hmm. Ah boy. Times I feel so troubled
and scared, and I need somebody to help me. I need somebody to
help me. And there's times I feel lonely.
Everybody does. I feel all alone in this world,
all alone. And though the Scripture says,
though my mother or my father forsake me, and some of you have
even had parents forsake you because of your stand for the
gospel of Christ's Didn't he say that would happen? He said,
now you remember when it happens that I told you. That's comforting,
isn't it? That he said, when it happens,
I told you, you remember that, it'll be a comfort to you. The
scripture says, when my mother and my father forsake me, yet
the Lord will take me up. I like that, like an orphan.
You know, we're all orphans, Ed. We're all orphans. Yeah, we are, every one of us.
We're orphans, and the Lord adopted us. Adopted. The daughter of
a friend of mine. Who ended her life. Was an orphan. Was adopted by this friend. And
she left a note. She left a note. She had a sister. She found out later on in life
that she had a sister. Whom the parents kept. But yet she was given up for
adoption. And she ended her life and she left a note that said
this. That said, was I that mad? Was I that unlovely? That even my parents wouldn't
want me. Well, I am that bad. And you are that unlovely. But
there is somebody who would have you. There's one. There's one that will help you.
So I need such a friend, don't you? And number three, the third
reason is I want to be such a friend. And the only way, like I said,
the only way you're going to be such a friend is to be more
like Christ. I want to be a friend who is
closer than a brother. I mean, closer than your brother,
Nancy. I want to be closer to you than your own flesh and blood
does. I want to be closer to a brother such as John. John,
I want to be closer to you. I want our love and friendship
for one another to surpass the love of women, the man for his
wife. Isn't that what Jonathan and
David said about it? Isn't that what David said about
his love for Jonathan? Oh, Jonathan, thy love surpasses the love of
women. Now, if let me make this note
here, this is so important. We need to be friends to our
spouses. We need to be a friend to our
husband. We need to be a friend to our wife. If we can't be a
friend to our own family, to our wife, to our husband, especially
if that wife or husband claims to be a believer. How in the
world are we going to be a friend to anyone else? That's important there. We need
to be a friend to our husband and wife. How are we going to
be a friend to anybody else, a true friend, if we can't be
a friend to one that's close to us, our bosom, lifelong companion? And I want to be a friend, though.
I want to be a friend. And that needed to be added there.
I want to be a friend through thick and thin. There's a good
song for you. Be a friend through thick and
thin to the end. Will you be my friend? I want
to lay down my life for my friend. I want to think on things of
others. I want to bear one another's burden. Number four. Fourth reason
for bringing this message is to make us all more friendly.
Now back to the text. It says this. You want more friends? Everybody wants friends. I want everybody in here to be
my friend. I really do. Men and women. Why can't men
and women be close friends, huh? Without all the worries and problems,
huh? I want to be a friend, a close
friend, an intimate companion of everybody in here. Do you? Do you? Well, a man to have friends,
our text says, must show himself friendly. It doesn't say if you
want to have friends, they're going to have to really befriend
you. Does it? They're going to have to work
hard to win your friendship. That's so. But that's not what
it says. It says the responsibility lies
where? With you. With me. If you're
going to have friends, you've got to show yourself friendly.
To have friends, in other words, you want to be a friend. And
like I said, to start out with, our lack of friends is probably
due to our unfriendly attitude. You write that down if you're
taking notes. Our lack of friendship is probably due to our unfriendly
attitude and our unlovely and unfriendly personality. Chances
are, if I can use that word, that that's the reason. Turn
over to Proverbs 27 with me. Proverbs 27. If you're going
to have friends, you're going to be a friend. Proverbs twenty
seven true love and friendship seeks out desires the fellowship
and companionship of a friend. That that old saying and absence
makes the heart grow fonder that's a bunch of bull I don't know
where that came from absence makes the heart grow fonder not
so absence makes the heart grow colder. Now if there's a forced absence,
such as a woman and her husband going overseas to war or something,
yeah, now that'll, it doesn't make the heart grow fonder, it
just makes you miss them. But absence away from a friend,
a so-called friend, makes the heart grow colder, not fonder,
colder. Look at here, you know, love
and friendship seeks out the companionship, desires the fellowship
and companionship of a friend, Proverbs 27 verse 9. Ointment
and perfume rejoice the heart. You ladies, you like nice bath
oils and soaps and good smelling things and perfume. Did you get
any for Christmas? Did you? Oh, you just, oh, you
like, you enjoy it so much, so does the sweetness of a man's
friend by hearty counsel. Do you have a, have you ever
been in the company of a friend and it was just sweet smelling,
savory to you? You savored it? The company,
the fellowship? companionship with a friend. Verse seventeen, iron sharpeneth
iron too. Not only is a companionship and
company and communion of a hearty counsel of a friend like sweet-smelling
perfume, but it'll sharpen you, it'll help you. Iron sharpeneth
iron, verse seventeen, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of
his friend. We build up one another in our most holy faith, sharpen
one another. We help one another, we edify
one another through companionship, through friendship, through communion
with one another. There's only one way that friendships
are built, and that is if you be with them. Be with that person. You seek them out. You're not
going to be a friend, you're not going to have a close friend,
if you don't seek out their companionship. Now where does the responsibility
lie? In them? No, in me. I'm going to demand
to have friends, I'm going to have to show myself friendly.
True friendship, I said this before, true friendship is mostly
giving. True friendship is mostly giving.
It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. True friendship is delighting
to give and not receive. And giving this thing of giving
a friendship is is giving of your time your talent your energy
your yourself. And then what our Lord said there
in John fifteen you're my friends if you do what I say and you
this is my commandment love one another as I love you give yourself
as I have given myself my time didn't he give his time his energy
his his his talents his his everything. Everything money True friendship
is mostly giving. True friendship is compassionate
and pitiful. True friendship is compassionate
and pitiful. In other words, be tender, kind-hearted
one to another. Scripture says true friendship
is not hard on a friend, but gentle. You get enough hardness
out there, don't you? Need somebody to be gentle, be
kind with me, have mercy on me, bud. The him that is afflicted,
pity should be shown from his spring, not talking about him
behind his back. Number three, true friendship
is affectionate. And this just makes me want to
weep. It's unthinkable. It is absolutely
unthinkable not to say hello When you pass a friend. You know I like that about southern
towns those small southern towns like Rocky Mount Virginia like
that you walk down the street post office or whatever. How
are you fine. Good morning. How are you. New
York City. Good morning. You don't mug me. Rob me. What's. What's up. But
around here. Hello how are you. Nice day isn't
it. Good morning. It's unthinkable. to pass by a friend, a brother. And you might not, if you haven't
seen him in three or four or five that week, and not speak
to him. You can say what you will. Call
yourself a brother and a loved one if what you will. And I think it's a bunch of hypocrisy
myself. You know, a pat on the back,
a touch, a pat, how you doing? Boy, that means a lot, doesn't
it? If you can't, well, you sound too shy or thinking about whatever. Come on now. I'm not shy around
our family. That little girl walks in the
room, Steve, what are you going to do? Huh? Ignore her? We haven't
seen her in four days. Would you flatly ignore her?
Oh, my soul. My soul, and just a pat, just
a pat. Hey, how you doing? It means
a lot, doesn't it? It's unthinkable. True love,
friendship, is affectionate. It's affectionate. We all need
it desperately. We all need it desperately. Affectionate. Number four, true friendship
disregards and covers the faults of a friend. Disregards the faults
and recovers the faults of a friend. Proverbs seventeen nine nine
says this he that covers the transgression seeketh love. He
that revealeth the matter separate of very friends. He that covereth
the transgression seeketh love. You want to be a friend? Cover
is false. Don't bring love. Right? Don't talk about them. Forget
them. You want to be a friend? Number five, true friendship
confides in one another. It does. True friendship confides
in one another. That's what friendship's all
about, isn't it? Confessing your faults to one another. You can't
go out on the street or out on the job and start confessing
your faults to one of them, can you? They don't think you're
a Christian. If you tell them all your temptations and your
problems and all that, which you can't a brother because he
feels the same thing. And you help one another, heart
to heart, friend to friend, the song says. Confess your faults,
unburdened. True friendship doesn't clam
up, it communicates. It communes with another. Now that's the fourth thing. True friendship, we all need
to be more friendly. And then lastly, the last point
is this. The reason I preach this message is to point you
to Christ. Now I started out that way because there is a friend. And if I never have a friend
like this, if I never, if none of you all are a friend to me
like this, if you forget me, if you turn your back on me and
ignore me and you never speak to me, I'll be hurt. But I've got a friend. And the same thing for you. If
you feel like you don't have a friend in here, God forbid
that that should be so. But if you do, there is a friend. You see why I came back to that?
Though my mother and father forsake me, even though fellow believers
won't even speak to me when they walk by me, I've got a friend,
and he speaks to me. He's a friend of the And if you
want to be his friend, he said, you are my friend if you do what
I tell you. What did he tell us? Well, he
told you everything I just told you in the course of this message.
Right? We read, I must have quoted,
two dozen scriptures in the course of this message. What does he
tell us to do? Everything I just told you. It's right. It's true. It's good. It's helpful. And he says he that hath friends
must show himself friendly and he said you'll be my friends
if you befriend my friends. You know my friends. My friends should be your friends.
It said that in Proverbs twenty seven. It said that again in
Proverbs twenty seven verse ten. Your daddy's friend ought to
be your friend. Your brother's friend. My friend
ought to be your friend John. Your enemy ought to be my enemy.
Right? That's friendship. The man to
have friends must show himself friendly. I want friends. Number
one, I wanted to point you to Christ. Number two, I need such
a friend. I need a friend like that. Number
three, we all need to be more friendly. We all need to be more
friendly. And I want to be a friend. And
lastly, I got a friend where it counts. And I can go to him at two or
three in the morning, four in the morning, call on him any
time, and he'll come to my aid. All right. Now, let's sing that
song together. I just found it very pitiful.
Let's sing it together. We don't need the music. 354,
354. Stand with me, sing one verse slowly. 354. What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry Everything
to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. Oh, because we do not carry everything
to God in prayer.