The Best Friend You Will Ever Have - Part 1

Welcome to the intensified Capt. Charles Stanley Thursday, November 18 that our friends rarely do believers think about these you can get to learn more. You will ever have helmeted real true friends do you have not nearly as big as you think you have a lot of folks that you have acquaintances with you Rachel Saul of all levels of friendship that you call true friends, but the abiding friendships. We don't have many of those in life because it takes time to develop that kind of a deep relationship to whom are you a real true friend. You know what the real qualities of true friendship really are. All of us need the abiding friendships. A fellow said to me one day he had a friend with whom he had been intimately acquainted and fellowship with every week, sometimes several times a week for 35 years when he said that all of a sudden I had the sinking feeling.

I thought 35 years with the same friend I've missed something in life. As I begin to read again the study about friendship.

I began to realize that we men aren't nearly as friendly as we think we are in a survey of leading psychologist and therapist. They were asked the question how many men in America really have a true friend, and the vast majority of them said about 10% or less, probably because so many of us are so busy doing our own thing. We don't take the time to develop friendships deep abiding friendships. As we all and as God intends for us to have and is all abuzz really and truly need one of the most priceless possessions we have is that of a true genuine friend and I begin to think about what see Jesus Christ is really my friend. I know he's my Savior.

I know he's my Lord, I know he's my master. I know he's God. Most of my life. I never looked upon Jesus Christ as being a friend, but if you turn the John chapter 15 you will signal different side of the Lord Jesus Christ, which all of us need to see and begin to discover what kind of friend Jesus Christ is to all of us because in the midst of a few chapters here which Jesus spoke to his apostles in the upper room the night before, was crucified, he gave us some of the most precious unforgettable comforting reassuring truths to be found anywhere in the word of God and in the midst of this 15 chapter only been talking to them about their relationship to him and described that as a binder branch relationship.

He says in verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friend. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves of the slave does not know what his masters doing but I called you friends for all things that I have heard from our father have made known to you, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain. That whatever you ask the father in my name he may give it to you this I command you, that you love one another was looking that passes from a he says in verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you in verse 17.

This I command you, that you love one another. So in the midst of this dissertation on love he saying greater love has no one than this delight in his life for his friend. That doesn't always necessarily mean that you give your life physically, that is broad for a friend. But there's another way to late on your life or your friend that is the did not your cell on your own selfish desires. In order to please all to help or to a or to encourage all to be a friend then when he said, for example, you my friends if you do what I command you limiting what that does not mean that does not mean that Jesus is saying that we are his friends. If we keep all the 10 Commandments, do all the things that some amount what he's saying, because it is couched in law. He says you are my friend if you do not recommend that you and it is all couched in love.

He said you my friends, if you love one another, that you think about the life of Jesus for a moment Jesus didn't spend most of his time of the great throngs of people. Jesus invested most of his time with a handful of fellows that he made his friends. He was a friend to everyone of he tried to be a friend all 12 of them but one of the one letting Judas Iscariot, but of all those apostles are called what the Bible says about the more than likely the youngest of them.

John was Jesus most intimate friend. He's the only possible Jesus love them all, about which the Bible says John the beloved apostle Jesus had a friendship and the fellowship with them.

That was more intimate than all the others, yet he did have other friends. Mary and Martha, and Lazarus was friend.

You see, if you look to see what Jesus said in the Gospels.

He was always instructing others how to relate to other people and how to develop friendships and he continuously said with a love each other, which is the basis of real, true friendship. Now when you not think about Jesus Christ being our friend most of us realize that he is our Savior and Lord.

Mastering God and we see what a friend we have in Jesus.

I have found a friend in Jesus. He's all the world to me. We sing these songs about them, but on a daily basis. How many of us really and truly think about relate to Jesus Christ as our friend. So I want to do in this message.

I want you to discover three things I wanted to discover. First of all what a friend Jesus Christ is to you.

Secondly, I want you to discover. Is there anyone to whom you are this kind of friend 1/3 thing. You may discover is there anyone that you have a relationship with which you could call a genuine friend based on the qualities of true genuine friendship that is, what kind of friend is Jesus.

What kind of friend are you and to whom are you that kind of friend is there anyone that you can call. He is now real friend. She is not real friend is there anyone so I like to do is almost a look at the life of Jesus Christ as a friend. I want us to view him as a friend today and in the light of the characteristics of the qualities of Jesus Christ as a friend. We can evaluate our friendship with each other, we can conclude whether we really have a true friend is not. We can also conclude the fact of whether we are on know how to be that kind of friend to someone else so I want you to get a piece of paper and a pen. I believe this will be extremely helpful to you my friend, if you will write down these 10 qualities of friendship that are found in the life of Jesus Christ and you remotely said the Bible says about him. He is the same yesterday today and forever if he would be a friend of those apostles.

He will be our friend.

If he had been a friend of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He'd be after you see, Jesus didn't have to send a runner ahead and say all go tell Mary and Martha, I'm on my way to get rid to cook because I want to walk in on them surprised what friend do you have that you can just drop in all without any warning and you won't embarrass them, and you won't be embarrassed. How many of us have true genuine friends that we can say now when you're really and truly need a true friend. Genuine friend that's my friend.

Well, what are the marks of true friendship. Number one the marks of true friendship. First of all, let's look at it from Jesus Paul of unitless related to each other. He loves you just the way you are. Jesus loves you just the way you are now. He knows all your faults all your frailties. He knows all of your mistakes all of your sins. All of his secrets.

He knows the intentions of your heart he knows your thoughts. He knows what you would do if you knew nobody would ever know. He knows the deepest intense. He knows the motivations of your heart. He knows everything there is to know about you, and at the same time he loves you fully and completely, he will never stop loving you, no matter what you do, you can never do anything to alter his love for you is always a continuing unalterable love. He doesn't love you for what you do and sees loving you for what you failed to do.

He just loves you for being the person that you are and that I believe is a genuine quality of true friendship. You just love the other person because there's somebody, not for what they do for you not to what you can expect of them, not because they live up to your standard, Jesus loves people. Just because they were persons. How many friends do you have who love you just the way you are who know what they know about you and still love you no matter what. Who would not stop loving you. If they discovered something about you that you had never told him and that nobody else in the world Avenue you have anybody like that, let me ask you this. Is there anyone you love. Just the way they are and you won't be disappointed when you find out something that appears to be ugly. Is there anyone whom you won't be disappointed no matter what they do. You just love them just the way they are. That's the way Jesus loves us just the way we are as a second quality found in him. That's this the Jesus Christ accepts me, he accepts us just the way we are Jesus, except to the just the way you are but no watch this. Not only does he accept you the way you are but he's not satisfied, allowing you to be less than he knows you are capable of being. And so what is he do he urges you he motivates you he project to become the total person that he wanted when you see a true friend wants the best for you. A true friend want you to mature a true friend want you to become everything you capable of becoming a true friend is looking out for your best interest and a true friend is going to respond and react to you in your best interest.

Jesus Christ accepts you just the way you are you not to do anything to get acceptance.

He accepts you just the way you are no matter what, but he will never let you be satisfied being less than he knows you capable be now. He's not going to put pressure on you that makes you so uncomfortable that the friendship and the fellowship is distorted, the pressure, Jesus will put on you will always be loving pressure to motivate you to become the total person God wants you to be is 1/3 characteristic is found in Jesus that is the understand you fully. He understands when you hurt. He understands why you hurt. He understands when you discourage and why you become discouraged.

He understands when Satan has worked you over and you are oftentimes tempted to give up. He understands when you get all other sorts. He understands when you say things you should when you think things you should when you relate to other people, ways that you shouldn't he understand you when you sin against them.

I didn't say a prayer that I study understand. You see, the reason he understands her so well is because wherever we've been with Tim Tatian trial Hartigan burden. He's already been there. He's Artie been where we've been and you see he understands in a way that is encouraging and uplifting and is it not true that all of us need somebody who fully understands and doesn't try to explain everything and sort it all out and give us a bunch of solutions but who just is willing to accept this as we are lovingly and understand why we are where we are at this point in our life and is not trying to make us over in the horrific trying to get us to match up to their expectations, but just understands friend when the bottoms drop that in your life. Is it not true that you want to talk to somebody who really understands who's not trying to give you a bunch of solution, who's not trying to say why don't you do this, a 100 that is what you are the but rather just able to understand you, just where you are at this point in your life and you see all of us don't ever remain the same partner life we change with time personality sometimes changes attitudes change desires change all of these things change in our life. We just see a true friend just hangs in there exception loves you understands you and keeps on loving you. That is, in spite of what you do is say their understanding is such that, except you on the basis of being a person. Don't cast you all you not a friend today and not the more you see someone with whom you are friend today but not tomorrow. That's not true friendship. If there waiting for you to make a mistake. That's not true friendship and you remember this if criticizing your friend is very very very painful to you more than likely you a true friend. But if you can criticize somebody else and it doesn't hurt you. That's not real friendship. You see, the deeper the relationship.

True friendship is not critical confronts.

Yes confronts indeed but not critical, not judgmental because you see true friends hurt when they have to confront hurt when they have to bring to surface something and say that's not right.

You need to change that true friendship is able to be understanding no matter what is 1/4 characteristic that is in Jesus Christ, you can be totally open and honest about everything. Let me ask you this. Is there anybody today who is your friend with whom you can be absolutely totally open and honest with them and then you can tell them anything and they won't be harsh in the remarks they will not be quick to respond in criticism and ask why and tell you how ashamed you want to be but rather just listen. Is anyone with whom you can be absolutely open and honest. Most Americans will live their lives and never spend one minute totally opening themselves up to anybody in their whole life. You know why because we don't trust of the folks because we don't have the kind of deep relationship where we feel we could to suddenly be transparent and totally open, able to cry when we need to cry. Share the deepest parts of our heart. Is there anyone with whom you can be absolutely and totally open EC one of the reasons we will not open up other people as we are afraid if they found out what we really like they'll reject this, they won't like what you see. Since Jesus already knows what you really like.

He's not going to be disappointed. So you have any fear of Jesus suddenly turning on you, rejecting you judging you being critical of you because you began to unload your heart and you see he already knows it. Do you have a friend today that you can trust with the inner most being of your heart and tell him this is the way out of the field. This is what they appear to be. But here's what I really like is what I really feel his head deep on hurting. Is there anybody today that you can be a true friend with an open up and say this is my real heart and not fear being judged totally transparent and open give a friend like that.

Well is the fifth. He's committed to you as a friend I think about this Jesus Christ is committed to use a friend. He will never disappoint you, or you may get disappointed but it will be because he disappointed you your expectations Manella been exactly what wisdom and love will provide Jesus will disappoint you. He'll never let you down he'll never leave you. The Bible says he'll never forsake you the 23rd Psalm is a beautiful affirmation of his walk with us what you see is something about Jesus. That's better than just having a friend. The walk was because the Bible says he not only is my Savior, my lord. The Bible says he's your life he's living on the inside of you. Jesus is committed to building a friendship relationship with you and you know that's a life that is an eternal commitment, not just a lifetime. Is there anybody that you expect to be your friend. As long as you live.

Is there anyone today that you can say he's committed to me and I'm committed to him.

We are friends no matter what everybody else in the world may leave me but I know that he or she is my friend, is he that's the kind of friend, Jesus is you can ever get him believe there may be some places you'd like to go that you would want to carry him too late. He's your friend he's going with you everywhere you go. He's going to be faithful. He's going to be loyal. He's trustworthy. He'll never disappoint you. He is a true genuine friend.

They have one like that, let me ask you a bit more probing question, are you that kind of friend anybody loyal, faithful no matter what other people say or what they do, they can always count on you for your emotional encouragement and support. Whatever circumstance they may be going through. You see that kind of friendship takes developing time talking, listening, loving, understanding always so busy doing our thing. They went to busy to develop loving friendships and relationships. Jesus is committed to was. Is there anyone here that committed thank you for listening to the best man you'll ever have. If you like to know more about child family are in touch ministries and attached data lighting.

After the presentation of in touch ministries Atlanta, Georgia