CLOSE FRIENDSHIP (5)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) For believers it is easy to think of ourselves as God's servants or his children. However, is that ALL God wants? Can we be a FRIEND, a very close friend, with our Father in heaven? This article will show that God wants FAR MORE from us than most people think.
b) The book of Revelation is almost always studied from a prophetic point of view. There are, however, statements within it that reveal God's character and his purpose for creating man. One such statement, spoken by Jesus, is in Revelation 3.
i) if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me. (Revelation 3:20)
c) Jesus is giving us a hint at the kind of special relationship he ultimately wants with each of us. He wants us to recognize his voice, open the door and invite him in. Once inside he is more than willing to sit down, enjoy a meal, and fellowship with us ONE TO ONE. How fantastic! Notice it does not say Jesus will come to our residence, pound on the door to demand we let him in, then when inside start commanding we do certain things - or else. Jesus comes to us in friendship with a desire to commune with his creation and to enjoy their presence. Our Savior also promised this intimate relationship with us while he was on the earth (John 14:22-23).
d) God and Jesus greatly want a close relationship with those who believe and love them. They wants to be our close personal friends! Those people throughout history who are friends of God are able to effectively interceded with him. The most striking of one of God's closes friends is Abraham.
i) "And the LORD said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do (visit Sodom and Gomorrah to see how great is their sin) . . . For I KNOW HIM, that he will command his children and his house after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment'" (Genesis 18:17, 19)
e) The fact that we humans like and greatly enjoy friendships is evidence that God wants the same thing.
1. Love
a) Friends that are true friends can find enjoyment just by being together. This is what Paul was discussing when he wrote to the Romans.
i) 9. Let love be without hypocrisy, abhorring that which is evil and cleaving to that which is good. 10. Be kindly affectionate toward one another in brotherly love. Let each esteem the other more highly than himself. (Romans 12:9-10)
b) Notice once again how Paul put the type of love we are to have in his letter to Philippi.
i) 2 I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. (Philippians 2)
c) When sinful, backsliding ancient Israel found themselves in a great deal of trouble, it was God who cared for them and was compassionate. He hurt along with his children. Paul the apostle described how Jesus knows our temptations when he wrote the following.
i) For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God - Jesus, the Son of God. 15 Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. (Hebrews 4)
d) God has always related to the trials, tribulations and troubles of mankind. Our Savior willingly relinquished everything he had - power, glory, honor, life eternal with pain or care and so on. There was nothing more he could give. He truly gave it all.
i) "This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
e) In closing, God and Jesus want us to have a close personal friendship with them and to love them as they love us. If we want to reach our height of spiritual maturity and love, then it behooves us to draw close to our Maker.
The End ...
0. Introductiona) For believers it is easy to think of ourselves as God's servants or his children. However, is that ALL God wants? Can we be a FRIEND, a very close friend, with our Father in heaven? This article will show that God wants FAR MORE from us than most people think.
b) The book of Revelation is almost always studied from a prophetic point of view. There are, however, statements within it that reveal God's character and his purpose for creating man. One such statement, spoken by Jesus, is in Revelation 3.
i) if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me. (Revelation 3:20)
c) Jesus is giving us a hint at the kind of special relationship he ultimately wants with each of us. He wants us to recognize his voice, open the door and invite him in. Once inside he is more than willing to sit down, enjoy a meal, and fellowship with us ONE TO ONE. How fantastic! Notice it does not say Jesus will come to our residence, pound on the door to demand we let him in, then when inside start commanding we do certain things - or else. Jesus comes to us in friendship with a desire to commune with his creation and to enjoy their presence. Our Savior also promised this intimate relationship with us while he was on the earth (John 14:22-23).
d) God and Jesus greatly want a close relationship with those who believe and love them. They wants to be our close personal friends! Those people throughout history who are friends of God are able to effectively interceded with him. The most striking of one of God's closes friends is Abraham.
i) "And the LORD said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do (visit Sodom and Gomorrah to see how great is their sin) . . . For I KNOW HIM, that he will command his children and his house after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment'" (Genesis 18:17, 19)
e) The fact that we humans like and greatly enjoy friendships is evidence that God wants the same thing.
1. Love
a) Friends that are true friends can find enjoyment just by being together. This is what Paul was discussing when he wrote to the Romans.
i) 9. Let love be without hypocrisy, abhorring that which is evil and cleaving to that which is good. 10. Be kindly affectionate toward one another in brotherly love. Let each esteem the other more highly than himself. (Romans 12:9-10)
b) Notice once again how Paul put the type of love we are to have in his letter to Philippi.
i) 2 I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. (Philippians 2)
c) When sinful, backsliding ancient Israel found themselves in a great deal of trouble, it was God who cared for them and was compassionate. He hurt along with his children. Paul the apostle described how Jesus knows our temptations when he wrote the following.
i) For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God - Jesus, the Son of God. 15 Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. (Hebrews 4)
d) God has always related to the trials, tribulations and troubles of mankind. Our Savior willingly relinquished everything he had - power, glory, honor, life eternal with pain or care and so on. There was nothing more he could give. He truly gave it all.
i) "This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
e) In closing, God and Jesus want us to have a close personal friendship with them and to love them as they love us. If we want to reach our height of spiritual maturity and love, then it behooves us to draw close to our Maker.
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