Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

So our topic today is Thankful for friendship,

Friendship is an interesting subject, and I think it requires a little bit of definition, because our culture has defined it a bit differently than the Bible.

Think about your best friend for a minute.

Maybe you have a couple best friends.

Think about some of the reasons why you would consider that person to be your best friend.

Maybe you have some of the same interests.

Maybe you play a sport together, or you have been classmates since you were young.

Maybe you met at church.

Think about some of those things for a minute.

So our topic today is Thankful for friendship

Think about your best friend (???)

What is a friend?

Friendship is an interesting subject, and I think it requires a little bit of definition, because our culture has defined it a bit differently than the Bible.

What is a friend?

Think about your best friend for a minute.

Friendship is a very powerful thing.

Your life is

I read a good definition about what friendship in the Bible means, and it is simply this: Someone who you are close to

A friend is a person that you have decided to invest your life towards.

For whatever reason, this particular person stuck out to you, and you decided that you wanted to get close to them and develop a relationship.

This can happen in all sorts of different ways.

Sometimes you are hanging out with a group of your other friends, and you meet someone that sparks your attention and you become friends with that person from that day on.

Other times, we have to work to become friends with certain people.

Maybe we don’t necessarily connect with a certain person as easily, but we decide in our minds that we want to get close, so we put in the effort.

Friendship is a very powerful thing.

The people that you choose to be your friends are often going to have the biggest influence on your life.

But what I want you guys to see this morning is that Friendship is a very powerful thing.

Well, the people that you choose to be your friends are usually going to have the biggest influence on your life.

And this can go either way.

You can have friends in your life who influence you in very good and godly ways, I think of all those people in my life who have pushed me closer to Jesus and encouraged me.

But there can also be friends who influence you in a very negative way.

So just because you are close to someone doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good thing.

Friendship in the Bible is often a good thing, and we are going to look at some of those things today, but the Bible also says that there are friends that can be very unhealthy.

Maybe you have a couple best friends.

And the reason friendships can be unhealthy is because they really can influence our lives either way.

Let’s start by looking at a few verses that talk about how much friendships can affect you in a negative way.

, ,

Might want to put a tab in it

Now first let me tell you what this verse is not saying.

This verse definitely isn’t saying not to be friends with someone who has gotten angry.

If that were the case, we would have to give up all of our friends because everyone is a sinner.

But what I really see in this verse is that, if you are hanging out with somebody who is constantly angry, or constantly has a bad attitude, unless you’re totally full of the Holy Spirit, there’s a good chance that their attitude is going to rub off on you too.

And you need to be really careful about those people.

Often times, we think that we can go into a friendship and help somebody change, and by God’s grace we can do that.

But at the same time, it’s a lot easier to pull somebody down than it is to lift them up.

(Example with Nick and I??)

Let me get a couple of volunteers this morning, I want to demonstrate this for you guys.

So did it look easier for __ to lift up __, or the other way?

This is often how it can be in friendship.

That’s exactly how David says it in Psalm chapter 1

So there is a powerful thing that happens when you spend time around certain people.

And I even love the progression that goes on in these verses

First you’re walking in the counsel of the wicked.

You hear the advice of the world in how to live your life, and you’re like, yeah that’s pretty cool.

I like that.

Next you find yourself standing in the way of sinners.

Your worldly wisdom led you to be standing in a really worldly situation.

And finally, you’re sitting in the seat of scoffers.

Now you’re fully in that lifestyle, fully comfortable living in your sin.

EXPOUND

So this is pretty crazy too, did you know that we can have friendship with the world?

What does that mean?

Well based on my definition of friendship, that it is simply being “close” to someone, or in this case, something, it means that we even as believers can be close to the world.

What does this mean?

Once again, it’s not saying that verses aren’t saying that we shouldn’t have any friends who are in the world.

Jesus himself prayed in , “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

, but rather that we can still choose to be friends of the world’s system.

And we know from 2 Corinthians 4:4 that Satan is the god (little g) of this world.

So just think about that, if you decide to become friends with the present world’s system, you may not like to think this, but you are actually making yourself a friend of the Devil.

And there is a possibility that you aren’t really saved.

You’re either God’s friend, or you’re the Devil’s friend.

But even with this in mind, we as Christians can still choose to be friends of this world, which in these verses just means the world’s system.

The Bible says in that Satan is the god (little g) of this world.

So just think about that, if you decide to become friends with the present world’s system, you may not like to think this, but you are actually making yourself a friend of the Devil.

Jesus went so far when he was speaking to some of the religious leaders at one point, where he told them their Father was the Devil.

Now if you are a Christian today, your father definitely is not the devil.

Realize that.

No matter what kind of sin you may be struggling with today, the Devil will never be your Father if you are born again.

But even with that said, you can still choose to be Satan’s friend.

There’s a difference.

And as it says here, friends of the world make themselves enemies of God.

Clear as day.

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Think about some of the reasons why you would consider that person to be your best friend.

Friendship in the Bible is often a good thing.

Good friends can

So with all that said, we are going to take a slight turn and focus on our main point for the rest of this study: Friendship with God

EXPOUND

I had a best friend in high school, but he was not a good friend.

Maybe you have some of the same interests.

Earlier I said that friendship is simply being close to someone.

But guys, I really want to focus on this because this is by far the most important friendship we can ever choose to have, friendship with God.

So in the rest of our time, we are going to look at three main characteristics of someone who is a friend of God.

And the main text that we are going to be looking at is .

Now I just want to say that I can’t tell you how many times I have read through this chapter of Psalms throughout my life.

It’s been such a sweet one to me.