Todd's Road Grace Church would like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at 9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services. For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert.

I've entitled the message for this morning, Am I a Friend of Christ? Would Christ himself count me his friend? I hope you and I will give that some thoughtful and serious consideration. Am I a friend of Christ? In John chapter 15, verse 12, the Lord said, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth, I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called you friends. For all things that I've heard of my Father, I have made known to you. Am I the friend of Christ?

Now, if you are a believer, If you are someone that looks to Christ only as everything in your salvation, you feel yourself to be less than the least of all the saints and the chief of sinners, but you're a believer. If you're a believer, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, the creator, The one who in the beginning was with God and was God. The one who is described as the brightness of God's glory and the express image of his person. The image of the invisible God of whom it said all things were made by him. and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. The king of kings and the Lord of lords, that one before whom angels fall prostrate at his feet, demons tremble in his presence, the Lord of glory, God manifest in the flesh, If you are a believer, this one counts you his friend.

You would not be name dropping to say Christ Jesus is my friend because he would count you his friend. You will remember that Abraham was and still is called the friend of God. It was said of Moses that he spake face to face with the Lord as a man speaketh with his friend. Am I a friend of Christ? Now what a great blessing it is to have a friend. One of the greatest blessings in life is to have a true friend.

Now, there are people who do not have a friend, and that's a very sad condition to be in. And I'm sure there are people who are so shy and backward, they just are unable to reach out to someone and make a friend. But let me also say this. Proverbs 18, 24 says a man that has friends must show himself friendly. If I have no friends, I might have personality quirks that prevent it, but the main problem is that I myself am not a friend.

I want to be a true friend, and what a great blessing it is to have a true friend. I read one time where a man said, I've made more friends in two hours by being interested in them than I've made in two years trying to get people to be interested in me.

A true friend. What a blessing a true friend is. That friend that sticketh closer than a brother, which is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. The friend who loveth at all times. The brother born for adversity. If you think of a marriage, the best marriage is where the man and woman are best friends.

A friend. Now a friend knows you. and loves you. You don't have to project an image to a friend. You can be yourself. That friend knows you and loves you. You can let your guard down around your friend with the confidence that he has your best interests at heart. He will not use what you say against you. He has your back.

What a blessing a true friend is. Friends are honest with one another. Friends respect one another. Friendship is based upon mutual respect. He respects you and you've earned his respect and you respect him and he's earned your respect. Friends are loyal to one another and can confide in one another and help each other in time of need and there's plenty of times of need in this life.

Friends want to be in each other's presence. They love to talk to one another. They feel comfortable around one another. They don't feel judged by each other. They don't feel threatened by each other. Friends want to please. and not to disappoint one another. Friends defend one another.

And this is all included in this description the Lord gives of loving your brother. He said in verse 12 of John chapter 15, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Now, how did he love his people? Well, verse nine says, as the father had loved me. So have I loved you. You think of the father's love to the son. He loves him because he's altogether lovely. And the Lord says, so have I loved you. How amazing. And look what he says in verse 13.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Now, if you're a believer, there are other reasons the Lord laid down His life. He laid down His life to put away your sins. He laid down his life to make the way for God to be just and justify the ungodly. He laid down his life so there could be the forgiveness of sins because sins are put away by what he did. But he also says, I lay down my life for my friends. That's who he died for. Those he counts his friends, greater love, Hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And then he says in verse 14, you are my friends.

If you do whatsoever, I command you. Now, when I hear that, my first response is, uh-oh, because I know I haven't done whatsoever. He's commanded me in and of myself. And some people think, well, that means I need to keep the 10 commandments. Well, the fact of the matter is you haven't kept the Ten Commandments. As a matter of fact, you've not kept one commandment one time. And if you think you have, you have no understanding of the holy law of God. But here are the commandments that every believer keeps. Not just he knows he ought to keep, he keeps.

First John 3.23 says this is his commandment. that we believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave us. Commandment. Now here's a commandment I keep. I believe, I rely upon the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. I am relying only on that person the name represents, the Son of God. The spotless, sinless, holy Son of God. God manifest in the flesh.

All my eggs are in this basket that all God requires of me, He looks to His Son for. And He saves me for His namesake, not because of any works I performed, but simply what He has done. That's all my salvation. I'm relying. I believe in the name of His Son. I believe He is who the Bible says He is. And I'm relying on who He is as everything in my salvation. Not my works in any way, but only His work. I'm believing on the name of His Son. And everybody that loves Him, I love. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, I love you. I can't help it. He that loveth Him that begat, loveth Him also that's begotten of Him.

Now, these are commandments we keep. And all of Christ's friends keep His commandments. In verse 15, He said, Henceforth I call you not servants, For the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth." Now, that doesn't mean I'm no longer a servant, but I'm not a servant only, because a servant is in the position that his master tells him what to do. He does it. The master doesn't tell him why he does it. The master certainly doesn't make known to him what's most important to him in his heart. He's just a master that tells him what to do.

But the Lord says, I'm much more than that. He said, henceforth, I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called you friends for all things that I've heard of my father. I have made known to you. He has made known to every believer that which is most important to Him, that which the Father has manifested to Him. He's made known to you His gospel. He's made known to you what is most precious to His Father.

Now, we've all been around people who hold us at arm's length. You have. I have. holding their cards close to their chest where intimacy with us is not really desired. Well, Christ said, I've not done you that way. I have made known to you what is most Precious to me. I Have called you my friends all things that I've heard of my father. I've made known to you I brought you into the inner circle of intimacy With me that is how he counts his Friends he said in verse 16. You've not chosen me But I've chosen you He chose you, there's so much that means, but among those, he chose us before time began to be saved, but among those things that it means, it means he chose you to be his friend.

Not an acquaintance, not a colleague, not an associate, but a friend. Am I a friend of Christ? Would He call me His friend? That's the important point. Not do I say I am His friend, but would He call me His friend? Now, the question is obviously, how? How can He call me His friend? How can one like Him, Count one like me or you to be his friend. You see, there must be some kind of fitness to be his friend. He is selective of his friends. How can you and I be someone that he would call, he's my friend, she's my friend? Well, let me give you the first way you can know if he is your friend. Are you a sinner? He is called in scripture the friend of sinners. Are you a sinner? I'm not asking you if you make mistakes and do wrong things. I'm asking you, are you what the Bible calls a sinner?

Someone who is evil. Someone who all you do is sin. You haven't kept one of God's commandments one time, and you know it, not truly in your heart. You might have obeyed something outwardly, but you know what you are on the inside. And you can't make yourself better. You are a sinner. And it's all your fault. You don't blame God for your condition. You are what you are because of who you are. And you can't look down your nose at anybody because you know that you're the most sinful man alive.

Are you a sinner? You know you have no claims on God because of your sinfulness. Are you a sinner? Paul said, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Not good people. Not righteous people. And it doesn't even say he came to save believing sinners or repentant sinners, just sinners. Is that what you are?

If it is, he's your friend. Now, if that doesn't describe you, he desires no friendship with you. But if you are a sinner, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. What is the requirement to be a friend of Christ? You have to be a sinner. The gospel of Jesus Christ is essentially and fundamentally the sinner's religion, not good people's religion. You know, I've heard people say, well, he's a good Christian. Just by definition, if he's a Christian, he knows he's no good and Christ is his goodness. Are you a sinner? If you're not a sinner, he does not desire friendship with you. He makes sinners his friends and only sinners his friends, and he makes them fit for friendship with him. Now, how can a sinner be fit for friendship with the Holy One of Israel? How can that be?

Well, let me read you a passage of scripture from 1 Corinthians 1. Beginning in verse 26, Paul says to the church of Corinth, those who the Lord has saved, he said, you see your calling brethren, have it not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world. to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not." Nothing. to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh and glory in his presence, but of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made into us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

If you're a believer, You're wise. He is your wisdom. And God can have fellowship with one who is truly wise. Christ is made to every believer the very wisdom of God. Christ can only have friendship with one who is righteous. He is made into every believer righteousness. I have righteousness that God can accept because it's the righteousness of Christ, it's the righteousness of God, and I am worthy of God's embrace and friendship because of this righteousness.

He's made into us sanctification. Holiness. He is my holiness. I can't become more holy. I can't become less holy. I am holy in the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm fit for fellowship with God. He's made into me redemption. All my sins have been washed away and paid for and put away. And I am fit to be his friend. He made every believer fit to be his friend. Listen to this scripture from 1 John 4, verse 17.

As he is, well, how is he? He's perfect to his father. He's altogether lovely to his father. Oh, the fellowship that exists between the father and the son as he is. So are we in this. world. Is he fit for friendship with his father? Then so is everybody that he died for, every believer. Believer as he is, so are you right now in this world.

Ephesians 3.12 says, in whom we have access, welcome, right now, in whom we have access with boldness and confidence by the faith of Him.

I have access into God's very presence right now with boldness and with confidence by the faith of Him. I'm not leaning on my faith, I'm leaning on His faith. I'm not leaning on my faithfulness, I'm leaning on His faithfulness. And because of that, I have access right now into the very presence of God.

Colossians chapter 2, verses 9 and 10. Now this is how I can be his friend. This is how Jesus Christ can count me his friend. Colossians chapter 2 verses 9 and 10 says, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete. Nothing lacking. Nothing that would need to be added to you to be his friend. You are complete in Him. In Colossians 1 12 says, He hath made us fit for the inheritance of the saints and light. Right now there's a group, the saints and light, around the throne praising the Lamb. And you know I have all that's needed right now. Nothing needs to be added to me. to be brought into that very place. Nothing added. The only thing I'll be doing is get rid of my sinful flesh. Right now, I'm fit for that great heavenly choir.

Fit to be his friend. He is the friend that knows you and knows everything about you. I want you to think about that. No one else knows everything about you. You have hidden things in your heart that you would want no other man to see. But if you're a believer, and I can't say this to the unbeliever, but I can say this to the believer.

If you're a believer, he knows you all together and loves you all together. He knows you and he loves you and you know him and you love him. I love the scripture in John 17 3, this is eternal life that they might know thee. The only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Now in a true friendship, and a believer has this friendship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm his friend, he's my friend. In a true friendship there's mutual respect. Any good relationship is founded in respect.

Now somebody says, how can Christ respect me? Well, the Scripture says He had respect to Abel and his offering. You see, you cannot be separated from the offering of the Lord Jesus Christ that makes you perfect in God's sight. That's how God can respect you. The Scripture says in Psalm 138, He hath respect to the lowly. That lowly person who sees his need of the Lord Jesus Christ, God has respect to that person. He had respect to Abel and his offering, and he has respect to every believer. And oh, how we respect and reverence him. We are in awe of him, his greatness and his glory, and we're so amazed that he would count us his friend. Friends are honest with one another. He's honest with me.

He's the only one who's truly honest with me. He's honest about who He is and who I am. And it's only seeing who I am that will make Him trust Him only. When I'm honest to who I am, the sinner, I look to Him only. And I'm honest with Him. I don't pretend to be what I'm not. I come into His presence with a full awareness of my sinfulness. I don't come claiming something else, and yet I have the confidence that I'm justified in His sight because of what Christ did for me. And to be justified is to be without guilt. It's to be without sin. Friends are honest with one another. You know, you can let down your guard around your friend. You don't have to project an image. The Lord doesn't project an image with us. He tells us who He is, and we don't have to project an image with Him. Your best friends have your best interests at heart. He has my best interests at heart.

Everything he does, he does for my good and his glory. He's too wise to err. He's too kind to be cruel. And if I'm his friend, his glory is more important to me than life itself. I love Him getting all the glory and salvation for two reasons. Number one, He deserves it. Number two, if He doesn't get all the glory, that means salvation is some measure by my works, and that's not good to me. So I love Him having all the glory. We have His best interests at heart. True friends are loyal. He's loyal to me. He said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. And by the grace of God, every believer is loyal to him. We persevere all the way to the end. Friends defend one another. Oh, how he defends me. and how I want to speak in defense of him with regard to those who do not believe the gospel. We speak in defense of him when we preach the gospel because the natural man has no love for this message.

Friends love to be with one another. and to speak with each other. The Lord Jesus Christ loves being with His people and speaking to them through His Word, and God's people, above all things, want to simply be with Him. Father, I will that they whom you've given me be with me where I am. that they may behold my glory." Friends, confide in one another. He makes known His Father's purpose to us, His purpose of salvation. We make known our wants, our needs to Him. Friends, want to please one another and not disappoint one another. Oh, we're so pleased with Christ. We're not disappointed in him. And because of his work for us, he's pleased with us. He's not disappointed with us. He says, thou art all fair, my love. There is no spot in thee. Now here is the message of the church.

They say with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ in the Song of Songs, chapter 5, verse 16, this is my beloved and this is my friend. He is that friend that loveth all times, the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He's your best friend. And through what he's made you, he counts you, you're his friend. He's your Lord. He's your master, he's your savior, he's your husband, and he is your friend.

If you're a believer, am I a friend of Christ? Well, are you a sinner? Do you look to him only as everything in your salvation? If you can say yes to those two questions, yes, you are his friend. And I hope that this will challenge us to want to be better friends to Him and better friends to one another. May God bless you for Christ's sake. To receive a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your request to todd.neibert at gmail.com. Or you may write or call the church at the information provided on the screen.