18 Apr Intimate friendship with God
Psalm 25:12-14:
[12] Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
[13] His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
[14] The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
The word friendship = hebrew = sôḏ = a session, i.e. company of persons (in close deliberation).
by implication = intimacy, consultation, a secret: a secret assembly, a secret consel, inward.
Religious and philosopy tell us imposible to be friend of God
Bible told us it’s possible to be a closed friend of God
1. It is Possible to be Friend of God
Moses had very close relationship with God
Exodus 33:11:
[11] Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Abraham is called a friend of God
James 2:21-24
[21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
[22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
[23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
[24] You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
2. Why is to be friend of God
God is the triune God = relationship and friendship being
We are Made By the Image of God for what? For relationship
Genesis 1:26-28:
[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
[28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Eros friendship : love or Eros relationship
Teleos friendship : brotherlly relationship
Closed friendship Beginning when two people have the same purpose and destiny
Jesus Made to be Human and doing the best friendship that somebody could ever make
John 15:13-16:
[13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
[14] You are my friends if you do what I command you.
[15] No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
On the cross Jesus become like us as we are Los, sin, condem in order His Righteousness, holiness and Glory to be ours and than we can be His closed friend.
3. How is possible to be friend of God:
A. Obedience.
Jesus Said If you obey my word you are my friend.
John 15:13-16:
[13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command you.
[15] No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
[16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Obedience make us Become holy and become more and more like Him.
Singing a Hyme is not praising God when your heart is Rebelion to God
Being Tranparency and be as you are, not try to be somebody else will open the door for close friendship
B. Believing the Salvation or JUSTIFICATION only By Grace through faith
Ephesians 2:8-10:
[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
[9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
[10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
Psalm 1:1-3:
[1] Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
[2] but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
[3] He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
C. Dynamic Two way communication through prayer and meditating His word.
Our God is the God who is living and still speaking through His word in the Bible:
God speak through thunders (so powerful )
Psalm 29:3-9:
[3] The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.
[4] The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
[5] The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
[6] He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
[7] The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
[8] The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
[9] The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The word of God in the book of Hebrews is active power like Two edges sword
Hebrews 4:12
[12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
God is not just feeling or sense of something, but HE is more real than a person or somebody.
God’s word is His active power of His being and HE is always doing what so ever HE had said.
ISAIAH 55:10-11:
[10] “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
[11] so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Prayer is Two Ways communication and not one way, we should give time to God to speak to us through His spirit and through the Bible
ROMANS 8:26-27:
[26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
[27] And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
D. Seeking His Face
When we are having conversation, we always want to see eachother’s face
Psalm 27:4
[4] One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.
The word to GAZE = ḥâzâ.
a mentally = to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure). specifically = to have a vision of = to behold, to look, to see.
Psalm 27:8-9
[8] You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
[9] Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
Psalm 63:1
[1] O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Tase and See the Lord is God
Psalm 34:8
[8] Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
To know, to feel is one thing but to tase is much more different things.
To taste is to fully enjoy something you delight just like delicious food.
E. Meditating Jesus death on the cross as the way of acting friendship to make it able to coming closer to Him
Jesus say not my Will but your Will be done.
Luke 22:42
[42] saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
After Jesus crucified, He will draw all people to Himself (having close relationship)
JOHN 12:32:
[32] And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
We are always looking for good friend, trust worthy friend, here Jesus has done Everything need in order to be our very closed friend.
John 15:12-17
[12] “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
[13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
[14] You are my friends if you do what I command you.
[15] No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. [17] These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Conclusion:
- It’s not only possible to be friends of God, but God Himself had created us according to His image in order He can be friend with us His beloved ones.
- When the firsts Adam fall into sin and broken his closed relationship with God, God sent His beloved Son Jesus Christ to restore our broken relationship and become His beloved close friends.
- The more we gladly obey His word and doing His will, the more closer we can be His beloved friends, and He will tell us His secret things and His everlasting personal covenant with us. Amen.
Discussion questions:
- In your own opinion, what does it mean to be a friend of God?
- Why is it important for us to be a friend of God?
- Look at the 5 ways we can be a friend of God. Which one do you think is the most crucial?
- Look at the 5 ways we can be a friend of God. Which one do you think you are lacking? How can you grow in that area?
- How does friendship with God empower us to have a better friendship with others?
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