Friendships

Good to see you again, and of course, we want to welcome our campuses and those that are joining from not just Austin, but from around the world, and then our 13 correctional facilities. It's an honor to be with you today. Come on, Celebration Church. Can we just welcome everybody that's online and watching, and it's good to see you guys, and it's good to be back. I heard last weekend was just amazing, and I heard that our campus, our college outreach, and young adult pastor, looks like he's going to get married by the time this month is out. In the name of Jesus, I understand Tanner put all things concerning his information and his digits and his social security number, but we hope that you were blessed, and Laurie and I were in Miami, and then I attended some conferences as it relates to the Bible, getting into the hands and into the eyes and the hearts of every young person in the world, a ministry called One Hope, and get to serve with some amazing people that are founders of many large ministries. One Hope Ministry has served over 2 billion children, the word of God, and we're expecting to believe, in fact, this year, our goal is 159 million children will be engaged with the scripture through One Hope Ministry, and so I've been on that board. Yeah, we can thank God for that. I've been on that board for almost 20 years, and people like Bobby Greenwald, the founder of YouVersion and other types of that caliber are part of that team. So we're part of that conference, and then Laurie and I preached seven times last weekend, and we did a marriage conference. We did three on Saturday, and then four on Sunday, and we're separated now as a result of speaking. And I know we have pastors and others that have been in ministry together, and nothing will challenge your marriage like when you're speaking. You know what I'm saying? I just tell Laurie, you write it, and I'll just go with you in the name of Jesus. It just makes it easier, but we love doing marriage conferences, and we love doing and speaking about marriage, and so thank you, church, for just being a church that just

continues to grow in the body, doing what each part is called to do, and the Bible tells us that is the way God works. That's the way God wants all of us to flow in our lives, and we are in a series of relationship messages that we're going to go today with an idea with this, of course, important topic of friendship. Come on, say friendship. And we're going to talk about the power of friendship and the power of right friends and wrong friends. We're going to be getting deep a little bit here today in just a minute, but I want to start off with a recent video that I was watching of the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. In fact, Laurie often thinks, are you about to join the military? Because I probably listen to as many lectures and speeches from generals and commandants as anyone else or as any other topic. I just love hearing from leadership, and I love hearing from our military. And the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, with his chief master sergeant, the top enlisted soldier within the Marine Corps, as they were speaking about the 250th year of the Marines and all sorts of various concepts of the Marine Corps. He talked about the importance of being healthy in the Marine Corps, healthy as a soldier. How many believe you want your soldiers to be healthy? And if you've been in the military, and we have many militaries, the importance of being healthy, being in shape. And of course, you would immediately think that's in relationship to fulfilling the mission and that it's hard for an out-of-shape soldier to fulfill the mission. That's my first thought when he began to go into this subject and this topic. But then he twisted it, and he says, do you know why you need to be in shape as a soldier? And here's where we're going to connect about the shape of your friendships. He says, because being in shape is going to likely save you when you're wounded. In other words, when you're shot, when you're wounded, when you're hurt on the battlefield, your chances of survival are dramatically increased because you're in shape.

And it twisted my thinking. It was for your own benefit. Loneliness kills, but friendship preserves. And I want to talk about the power of friendships because it is what... What is going to preserve you when you're wounded? How many know you're going to take some hits in this life? You're going to get shot in this life. Jesus said you're going to have trials. You're going to have tribulations. You're going to have issues. You're going to have problems. And I don't want to put it down and make it negative, but the reality is that you and I are going to have to live in a world that is broken. But what's the difference between whether you're going to finish or not is going to be your friends. It's going to be who's the closest people around you that is going to make all the difference in the world. My best friend during college, and that's a thought, your friends are going to change depending on where you are. How many of you know what I'm saying? We will never leave each other. BFF. BFF. I don't even know what I'm doing. That's a heart. You remember your last day of high school, and you haven't heard from those people ever since unless you're stupid enough to get on Facebook. And so I love what one guy says, Facebook is the way to connect to people that you didn't want to know in high school. And so we have these people that we say we will never lose touch with, but you move.

And of course, distance has a lot to do with it. And then you move into another neighborhood and another world. You got your friends now at work, and you got your friends at your new church, you got your friends in your new city. And so your friends do change. We do know that. That's just part of life. It requires a lot of work to keep friendship. My friend who I still am in relationship with, Jay Egloff, my roommate at LSU, we played football at LSU. I'm talking about the power of what relationships will do. And as Jay and I were roommates at LSU playing football, he was an all-state wrestler from the state of Pennsylvania, three-time state wrestling champion, came to LSU originally on a wrestling scholarship, and then would come to the football team and would end up having an amazing career as a fullback. But Jay would go with me on one particular weekend to Pensacola, Florida, to visit my brother who at that time was commanding the Naval Air Station, the flight school in particular. My brother Keith, who I just performed this past fall, his funeral at Arlington Cemetery was many times assigned to leading the flight school there at the Naval Air Station. He was a graduate of Naval Academy, would go into the Marine Corps as a fighter pilot, flew F-4s and F-18s, had a stellar career. And so when Keith was there stationed at NAS, I would drive from Baton Rouge, and on one particular weekend, Jay went with me. And so Jay and I, we arrived Pensacola, and my brother was a great golfer, and of course, that's what we did a lot. We'd play golf and walk Jay through the squadron, walk Jay. Keith took Jay and I through all of the various things in relationship to the school, in relationship to the Blue Angels. We were in the same hangar. So really cool stuff.

And we had a great weekend. First weekend Jay had ever been with me, and first time Jay's ever been around anything military and anything of that kind of thought as relates to being a pilot. And on our way back from Pensacola to Baton Rouge, driving on I-10, he says, I think I have found what I'm supposed to do with my life. Jay would graduate from LSU. Jay would go to officer candidate school. Jay would get accepted into flight school. Jay would be selected as an F-18 fighter pilot. And after several years, guess whose squadron Jay was assigned to? My brother Keith. Jay would have a 22-year career as an F-18 fighter pilot. Had a career that was outstanding. My brother now would say, he was okay. But he was Jay, and he was your friend, and he became my friend. And when I think about the relationships, the power of relationships, Jay's life changed through a friendship. My life changed through friendship. Keith and Jay, until Keith went home to be with the Lord, he and Jay talked on a regular basis. A boy from Pennsylvania and a boy from Louisiana, and worlds collide. How many can say you've been impacted by friends along your life? Now we live in a world that has frankly become divided. I think if there's an issue and there is a problem that we can say that has been increasingly become more and more an issue. And of course, I think the pandemic had a lot to do with it. We've become very lonely. And I think we're not just lonely, we've become very cynical. And one of the issues in life is how do you keep from becoming cynical of people? Who can you trust?

What can you trust? And so a long life's journey because of betrayal and because of hurt, we end up not making friends like we used to. We used to, of course, I think in the world that we used to live in, if you will, those that grew up in the greatest of generation, those that know what it was like to live in a neighborhood, you knew all the neighbors. I remember growing up and I was born in 64, but my mom and my dad would go to all the neighbors and all the neighbors would come to us. And my dad would say, this is my son, Joey, you can whip him. I said, do you have to start there? He goes, well, I'll be gone a lot and I need someone to help me raise you, Joey. And so we would have relationships with all the neighbors. My dad and mom would have great friendships outside of the football world as my dad was an NFL football coach. But I think we've lost the art of making friends. I think, and there is an art to making friends. When I think about friendships, even in those that are in this room and those that are watching, they're a part of Celebration Church. As our church continues to grow, but it grows with a lot of growth from people coming from around the country, especially California. Don't boo. There may be a better tither than you. The reality is people come to this church and they come to a new location wondering, will I meet my friends? My biggest prayer for our church outside of Christ's Spirit filling this church is, God, fill your people with friends. Because if we only gather in multitudes, if we only gather in large groups and we don't have small groups, if we don't have friends, if we don't have what Jesus had in the Peter, James, and John, he had 12, but he had three that were always brought to a different level. Friends bring you to a different level.

The Bible tells us in 2 John 1 and verse 12, though I have many things to write to you, John says, I don't want to do that with paper and with ink. I don't want to text you. I don't want to email you. I don't want to write to you with paper and with ink. That's powerful. And of course, we have a generation that has been raised on social media. And we have all these friends. You don't have any friends because they follow you on social media. They're not following you. The reality is, is I think even then, thousands of years ago, he goes, I hope to come to you and speak, what? Face to face. So that your joy may be, what, full. That there's something in the face of a friend that makes our joy full. Take me to your friends. Show me your friends. Show me your friend group. Show me who you're doing life with at an intimate level, and I will probably be able to predict your future. Your friends are probably the greatest predictor of your future. It's a preview to your future. It will give anyone a snapshot, who you're doing life with, who you're spending time with, who's your downtime with, who are those partners, who are those friends from work or from the neighborhood. And I promise you, it gives a snapshot of the things to come. My roommate, of course, Jay, and others were such an impact in my life. I want to show you a couple of scriptures before we really dive down into one particular story. First Corinthians chapter 15, verse 33 says, do not be deceived.

Bad company. Of course, that can be in relationship to good company. But it's the company that either corrupts, either destroys, or it builds. It's either putting in bad, or it's putting in good. Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. The company that you keep, here's what Paul is writing, it's one of the greatest influences to your behavior, your morals, your values, your beliefs, your habits, your decisions. And I think it's why we need to have wisdom when it comes to the friends that we have. Proverbs, the Bible tells us that you and I, in Proverbs chapter 12, verse 26, the righteous choose their friends carefully. But the way of the wicked leads. Demonstrate the righteous choose their friends carefully or you can say the unrighteous they don't have any wisdom they don't have any idea as to who is close to them and it is imperative I know as parents one of the things that when I'm asked and Laurie and I are asked often you raised three boys and they've loved God and they have stayed in the house of God and they're two of our pastors and ones in Washington and in fact Connor and I spoke at a conference this past week as it relates to father-son relationships and next generation and Laurie and I am often asked what is the secret to raising great kids for God we watched their friends and we watched it closely we monitored those friends we would watch very carefully who's if they were even allowed to whose house they were going to because how many know just because and I'll say this publicly just because they go to the same church doesn't mean they have the same values just because they are going to our church doesn't mean they watch the same thing on television and of course as it relates to your own family people when it comes to the friendships of your kids how many know you got some family members you better not let those kids stay over there I'd let my kids stay with my family my family I've been very open about my family's life and all of their issues they belong on TMZ especially my

mother and I remember Jackson Mason Connor they stayed at the lake house with my mom and other family members I'll just never forget Mason said you won't believe what we watch I found out what my mother was allowing them to watch and Mason even said you won't believe what I tasted my mother served my little boy gave him a little drink of wine how many don't he's eight years old mom she goes I won't hurt him keeps him from getting worms that's what my mom said I mean you're thankful for the power of God that overrides even from misbehaving parents so you need to be careful parents that are watching in fact raising kids whose children are watching today's versions of television and watching and watching and being careful of who they are walking with he's imperative and we were not legalistic but we were strong and we have a responsibility we have a stewardship to shape that arrow in the direction that they're supposed to go in and nothing is going to make a greater impact on the lives of your sons and daughters like knowing their friends and there were people that just disappeared from her boys lives I didn't say we took them out I'm just saying we pointed them in the wrong or a right direction so we keep them from the wrong direction we knew where they were and I really do believe that friendships are imperative they're important and here's what I want you to see as we kind of go into now where I want to go the Bible says in Proverbs 18 24 a person of too many friends comes to ruin I like that translation one translation in fact you may have a different verse or the reading of that same verse may say show yourself friendly and you will have many friends but I like the original actually says in the New King James New American Standard the older version a person of too many friends comes to ruin but there is a friend who sticks what closer than her brother the reality is it's not how many friends you have it's not trying to get a bunch of friends but how many friends you have that care about you how many friends do you have that care about you as a person that care about your future who are going to stick with you in times that are good and times that are bad people who are going to remain loyal to you people who will stick like

Christ when you're walking through difficult situations who will stick with you when everyone else walks out on you who are those friends that will be reliable and trustworthy and faithful and loyal to have too many friends what are you saying there's you got too many voices in your life be careful of having all these friends because so many of them may have all these values and opinions and you may have all sorts of convictions with each one of those voices each one of those voices each one of those friends may have different beliefs and ideas points of view and feelings and then what ends up happening in your life because I really do believe that too many can lead you astray or lead you to ruin is that you're taking into too many people's considerations. And you're considering all of your friends rather than considering what is the will of God for your life. Rather than considering who Christ is, the one that sticks closer than her brother. The friendships can truly lead you up or they can lead you down. They can hold you back or they can push you forward. It's great friends or bad friends. That's the difference between falling and rising. It can cause you to win or it can cause you to lose. I love this in John chapter 20, Peter and the other disciple, after they heard that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but they didn't know where he was, just like the church. How many know what I'm talking about? Peter and the other disciple left and they began to run and the two are running together. I love this. This relationship of Peter and the other disciple being John, they're together. And running together, the other disciple ran ahead. John arrived ahead of Peter. He came to the tomb first. He stoops. He looks in.

He saw the leaning rapids lying there, but he didn't make the step beyond the door. Simon Peter also finally coming, and as I like to say, Simon Peter was probably a smoker, a chain smoker, huffing and puffing and finally getting there, following John. He entered the tomb. He sees the linen wrappings lying there, the face cloth which had been on his head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but folded up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb also then entered, and as a result, watch this, as a result, he then believed. What John is saying about himself is, it took Peter to propel me a little further. But it took John to lead Peter to the tomb. See that's what relationships are supposed to do. That's what godly relationships are supposed to do. They're supposed to propel you forward. They're supposed to make you better. And without people in your life, without us having people that are close to us, the reality is it may mean the difference between whether you arrive at your destiny or not. And Peter, of course, brings John into the full purpose of God of not just seeing, but becoming a believer. It was that friend that made the difference. Peter encouraged John. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 tells us, and this is a very powerful scripture, you need to have this highlighted, two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. But if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion, but woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him. Furthermore, if two lie down together, they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? This is why, again, military talk, talking to people in our church and generals and even my own brothers, special forces, marines, the power of having the right partnership and friendship on the battlefield, especially in cold weather, is what literally is the difference between whether they live or freeze.

This is why we have to be careful of who we do life with. This is why we have to be careful of whose better we in. How many know what I'm talking about? The difference is here in Ecclesiastes, it's whether you will live or not. And it's better together. Life is better together. Doing Christ and walking with Christ is bent and made to be together. When you look at the Old and New Testament, it was never without community. God expresses himself by the gift and by the power of the Trinity. You see the community. You see this friendship. You see this relationship, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. And it's throughout Scripture, Old and New Testament, of these powerful relationships. So now we come to 1 Kings chapter 12. Here's what we want to just, for the next 11 minutes, which means nothing to me. If you have your Bibles, look at 1 Kings chapter 12. You can find the same story, almost identical, in 2 Chronicles. The Bible tells us about Solomon, quickly Solomon, as we know, was the wisest man on the planet. But at the end of Solomon's life, what happened to Solomon? His heart had been turned by his 700 wives. How many know he should have gotten the revelation by two at least? He was a glutton for punishment, 700. But at the end of Solomon's life, sadly, his life wasn't the way that it was supposed to be for the wisest man. His heart turned. Notice, I think his heart turned, yeah. You could say the 700 wives led him into idolatry, but I'm also going to say his inner circle led him into idolatry. Those that he thought loved him.

Those that he thought, in fact, Solomon's the type in the picture of having way, not just wives, but way too many friends, way too many considerations, way too many voices. And so the end of his life was not the kind of life that God would have prescribed. Now we pick up the story, his life, his reign, his realm is finished. Now Rehoboam, his son Rehoboam, then Rehoboam went to Shechem. Now it's his turn. He's following Solomon, his father Solomon, for all of Israel had come to Shechem to now make him king. Now when Jeroboam the son of Nabat heard of it, he was living in Egypt for he was yet in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon. And then they sent and called him. They basically called not only all of Israel, but they said to Jeroboam, Solomon is now dead. His son is reigning. Why don't you come back from exile? And they spoke to Rehoboam saying, your father, notice your father made our yoke hard. Things were not done the way that they should have been done at the end of his life. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he had put on us and we will serve you. And then he said to them, well, let me do this. Let me get with some friends, depart for three days. I want to go on a retreat. I want to go on a friend's retreat. And then return to me. So the people departed. King Rehoboam consulted with the elders. Now I'm going to use these elders as a type and a picture of the right friends. And he came first to the group of right friends who had served his father and had some history with him and had history with Israel and understood the ways of God, understood the laws of God, understood the kingdom of God.

The Bible says, how do you consult me? What is your counsel to me concerning the question and concerning how to lead these people? And then they, this group, this first group of right friends, these elders, and I don't want you to think in terms of age, I want you to think in terms of wisdom. They said, if you will be a servant to this people today and will serve them and grant them their petition. And Chronicles also says it like this, not just speak good words to them, but be kind to the people. If you'll listen to them, if you'll spend time with them and grant their petition and meet their needs and speak good words to them, they will follow you. They will be your servants forever. In other words, you're going to have unity in your kingdom. But verse eight tells us, but he forsook the counsel of the elders, which they had given him and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. In other words, he then went to the second group and he went to the wrong group, the wrong friends, and these were his partners. These were his peers. These were the people that he was in high school with and elementary school and people that he ran with. And these young men came to him and they said, as he asked the question, how do you think I should lead these people when they say lighten the load? And the young men who grew up with him, this group of friends spoke to him saying, thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, your father made our yoke heavy now as you related it to wanting it to be lighter. You tell them my little fingers thicker than my father's loins. Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I'm going to add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I'm going to discipline you with scorpion. That word there just actually just means instead of just with a whip, I'm going to tie knots into the whip.

Then Jeroboam, notice what the wrong friends said, then Jeroboam and all the people came back on that third day and the king answered the people harshly for he forsook the advice of the right friends. And he took the advice of the wrong friends and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men. And I want to fast forward, look at the end of this particular segment of scripture. Verse 19 says, so Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. Literally what happened as a result of listening to the wrong friends, Jeroboam would eventually flee and run to preserve his life. And to this day, his life is still running. this day, to this day, He set rebellion in the hearts of all of Israel and divided it. You see, when it comes to your friends, and I want you to hear me, and I know many of you, and all of us need to hear this, but I know many of you are at the, like me, we're coming kind of to the last third of my life here. I think that there are some things that I know about friendship, but I'm also really heavily talking to those that are in the beginning of your life. And because He chose the wrong friends, because He chose the wrong way, Rehoboam, he was surrounded by bullies, became a bully, and he didn't have to be. You don't have to live a life of rebellion. In fact, when I think about the wrong friends, here's what those young men did, and basically this is what the wrong friends look like. They don't value Christ. They don't value His ways. Notice what they said. The right friends said, serve, but these friends said, don't serve these people. They didn't value Christ. In other words, they didn't value people. The heck with people. Just treat people the way you want to treat them. Don't think about how they're going to treat you.

Just run over people. Just be mean to people. Just be arrogant to the teacher. Be arrogant to the coaches. Be arrogant to authority. In fact, we have this going on in this generation. Let's not value God. Let's not value people. Another thing is they didn't value righteousness. They didn't value the ways of God. In fact, they spoke crudely about His Father, about His family, about His heritage, about His beliefs. The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy, realize this in the last days, watch this. This is the last day, or this is what it's going to look like, and we are in the last days. How many believe that? We're in the final seconds. Realize this, that in the last days, difficult times will come. The next two words, for people, for the primary mindset of the generation will be people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanders, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness. Yeah, we're Christians, but they don't have any power. He says, don't let these people come close to you. I think it's important for all of us to know, who are your friends? How do they treat people? How do they treat the kingdom? How do they treat the people that are part of the kingdom? How do they speak to authority?

One of the characteristics is they're disloyal, and we have such a marketplace mentality even when it comes not just to family or to relationships, what can you do for me? But we have the same marketplace mentality when it comes to church. The characteristic of the last days is people won't even be loyal to the spiritual family of God anymore, and because they're gonna say, well, we can just go to any church, we're just all a part of the church, and there's no, one of the things I've learned from every great leader like Colonel and other people that are sitting here this morning is if you don't have a platoon, you're not a part of the military, which means you've got to have a local group of people that you're accountable to. These guys are basically saying, blow it all away. Don't be respectful of any kind of ancient truth. In fact, that's why the Bible says, don't remove the ancient landmarks. These guys were like just blowing and going and saying, we'll just deal with it later, and all that did was cause pain in their life, and to this day, Israel is in pain. You see, when you and I begin to ignore the right kind of friends, and let me just get to those, the right kind of friends, number one, keep you from trouble. If you're truly with a friend, if you say, they're my friends, and they lead you into trouble, they're leading you into pain, seven things, in fact, the Bible says that are detestable to the Lord, haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who stirs up conflict in the community. In other words, if your friends, if your friends that you have are close to you and are dividing you from your parents, dividing you from authority, dividing you from the ways of God, he says, my son, keep your father's command, do not forsake your mother's teaching, bind them, fasten them around your neck, and when you walk, they will guide you, when you sleep, they will watch over you, and when you awake, they will speak to you. You see what the right friends did, and what these first The first group of friends did was to preserve him from trouble, from rebellion, from going astray. Number two, the right friends lead you to Christ and His kingdom.

Greater love has no one than this than the ones that would, what, lay down his life for his friend. You know what he's saying there? The first thing they said was, why don't you serve these people? Let me know the chief characteristic of Christ is being a servant. In other words, when you're on that football team or that cheerleading team or whatever team you're on, especially if you're in elementary or high school growing up, what kind of teammate are you? And when we live in a world today that it's all about me, I've got to have, I've got to be, and if I don't have and if I am not going to be number one on this team, I just won't be a part of this team. See it starts early on. One of the things that my father as an NFL football coach taught me, going into elementary and going into high school, is that I was never to take advantage of what I could have taken advantage of when it came to, well, you know who my dad is? And I remember I wasn't getting much playing time in the baseball career that I had in elementary school. My NFL football father said, you're not that good. I wouldn't play you either. I never got a hit in five years, guys, so don't feel sorry for me. It was true. My dad said, but be the best teammate. I made the all-star team and I never got a hit. And I'm wondering, how did that happen? I made everybody happy. I was kind of the, not the clown, but yeah, I guess I was the team jester. I mean, we all have a role. What I want you to see is that these guys didn't point their friend to church, to the kingdom. Listen, you say you have friends.

And I'm not saying, in fact, we need to have friends that are outside the church. That is why we're here. We're here to lead people into Christ. We've become all things to all men so that we can win them, become their friends, lead them. But listen, if they're leading you from church, they're leading you from being loyal to the house of God, loyal to scripture, loyal to Christ, loyal to his ways, they are not the kind of friends that are leading you in the way of righteousness. They're going to lead you astray. I'm going to say even to adults, be careful who you do life with. I have groups of guys that I play golf with, people, listen, they're far away from God. And that's why that's my mission field. But I also know that there comes lines or come places where I don't play. My son, if sinners, watch this, if your friends are enticing you, don't consent with them. If they say, come with us, let's go here, let's do that, let's go lie and wait for blood. In other words, we might get into some trouble. The Bible says, as they do not know this, these people are mighty and they may be leading you down to a pit. And they're promising all this fun and all this wealth and all this enjoyment. Throw your lot in with us. Look at verse 14, my son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood. Indeed, it is useless to spread the bait, the baited net in the sight of any bird. But they lie and wait for their own blood. They ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence. It takes away the life of its possessors. I put that in a big context. Be careful who you're doing life with, because you may have all the fun in the world, but in the end, it's going to be all the pain in the world.

And it may not allow you to come back. It may cost you your life. Don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together, the Bible says, as is the habit of some. I think it becomes a habit, Hebrews 10, 25, because of who our homies are, who our partners are, who are people. But encourage one another all the more, watch this, all the more as you see the day of the Lord drawing near. I mean, no, the power of your friendships are going to become more and more critical in the latter days than it's ever been before. And then lastly, the right friends speak words of love and truth. They speak words. The Bible says in Ephesians 4, 15, speak the truth in what? In love. The Bible tells us they spoke the truth in love. And we... Need friends who will speak the truth in love Who can speak the truth to you who can say what you need? that you don't necessarily want to hear and The reality is is that we are better when somebody can speak to me Papa grandpa The reality is is that we're better when we're challenged When someone cares about our future cares about our life, I want a church of people who are filled with loyalty to Christ first and we're loyal to his ways and The ways of God allow us to speak truth one to another That we have accountability one with another That we're not left

To ourselves and Even though it comes harder and harder to find friends. I close with this and second Timothy Paul the Apostle says be on guard against People and he's talking about actually this blacksmith that had caused him trouble Alexander He says at my first dispense. He says in verse 16. I didn't find anyone that was close enough to support me I came to a place in my life where all deserted me I don't want anybody to be in trouble against the Lord because of this may it not be counted against But watch this but there is a brother that sticks closer the Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished and That all the Gentiles might hear and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and Will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom to him be glory forever and ever how many are thankful for a brother that does stick close and That brother's Jesus And you may find yourself without the kind of friendships that you'd like And Paul says, oh, you're not alone Though you are lonely. You're not alone There is a brother. There is a family member that sticks closer How many thankful he's are safe But I do believe God's will is that we would have the right friend Number one. I pray that you have found friendship with Jesus Because The Bible says he's the only one That has not just died for you, but was raised from the dead for you If you don't have friendship with God you have no future You'll have no future of peace. You'll have no future joy because the Bible says there's no other way to heaven except through Jesus and He wants friendship with you I've just made it my life since the day I heard about the gospel. I'm gonna be his friend I'm going to be a friend of God I want to be like Abraham who wants to be like Abraham have a friendship with God Bible says he spoke face-to-face like friends Moses had a friendship with God

And I do believe that you can be as close to God. You can be as close as a friend to God as you want It's available But number one, you got to know God as your friend number two How many want? to have a circle of friends of People how many in fact are praying God give me the right friends in my life. Let me see your hand all over this place And then number three God make me the kind of friend It's not just what I need. I want to be an answer to maybe those prayers of people that are around to the young people Choose wisely your friends start today And instead of rebellion, you'll have a life of righteousness with every head bowed and every eye closed Lord we see in this word It is gonna become more and more critical our companions our friends Lord would you fill us with wisdom? Will you fill us father with your ways? So that we will know the difference between those that are supposed to do life with an intimate level friend to missy Lord that we will have intimate friends that we will have friends that know us and that we can trust Lord, would you surround this church with that kind of level of friendship Lord? I don't want one person in this church to be alone Lord surround every one of us even I pray that this church Will be a church of friends Lord, I also pray that this church will be a church that knows how to be a friend and That Lord we will be a good friend that Lord. We won't leave our friends We won't betray our friends, but that Lord we will be a friend that sticks to people in their difficult time Lord, I pray for the next generation that Lord those wrong friends won't be those friends that they do life with In a level of intimacy that Lord you will open up their eyes I'm causing the sea who to do life with and then lastly

His head's about how many would say Joe. I want to be a friend of God Let me see your hand all over this. I want to be a friend of God Maybe you walked in here and you're far away from God. You know what God says to you today. Can we be friends? Can we be close Pastor Joe, I'm afraid I'm afraid of God. Oh He died for you He came close. In fact, this message was tailor-made for you if you're far away from God If you think God doesn't want you Can I just say this word was made just for you? Don't run from God Where are you going? All you have in God is the friend That your soul has been created to have His name is Jesus Yes, he's God. Yes, he's Savior But he says I want to call you my friend If you're here today and you'd like to pray that prayer to receive Christ as Lord and Savior as your friend Can we just say this out loud Lord Jesus? I Hear your call I respond Here am I? My life is yours. Forgive me that I've run away Forgive me for my rebellion Today Lord, I Believe you're calling me by your spirit. I say yes to your will to your ways My life is not my own. I Gladly give it to you Save me today. I believe my name is now in the lands book of life through Jesus Christ Thank you for saving me to all the God's people said can we just thank God for his kindness?

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